The Sinnoh Crisis
by Subject 666
Summary: [DISCONTINUED] When the six most prominent villains of the decade escape from prison, and a crisis befalls Sinnoh, it's up to the last Aura Guardian and the most powerful human psychic in the world to stop the impending calamity. AshxSabrina, Aura!Ash, OP!Ash. Rated M for language and violence. (Sabrina's character is rebuilt from the ground up)
1. Beginning of the End

**Hello, and welcome to my second story, The Sinnoh Crisis. I call myself Subject 666, and I write here for fun. Hopefully you like what I'm writing, and choose to continue reading it. The first chapter will probably be a bit short, but it's just scene-setting and character introduction/establishment. The next chapters will be longer and you won't have to wait long for the action. That being said, I post updates and pertinent story information on my profile, so if you're ever wondering when the next chapter's going to come out, that's a good place to start. Other than that, the best way to contact me is via PM. I'll pretty much respond within a few hours unless I'm asleep.**

 **Anyways, let's get this shitshow started. Curtain up.**

* * *

 **The Sinnoh Crisis**

 **Chapter 1**

 **—Beginning of the End—**

* * *

Jubilife City, the City of Joy, as it was called, had just become one the most dangerous places in the entire Sinnoh Region, just twenty four hours ago. You see, twenty four hours ago, six men broke out of the highest security prison complex in the entire world, one of which was about to make his move within Jubilife. Like the lighting of a fuse, his initial play would set into movement the plans of a mastermind the likes of which the world had never seen prior.

Despite the unfathomable danger all of Sinnoh was now in, the common people of Jubilife knew none the better. Today was another day amidst the bustling streets of the city, home to prestigious facilities like the Pokétch Company and Sinnoh Tech. The organized chaos of this urban metropolis was nothing out of the ordinary, so when one particular man walked into Jubilife TV that evening, no one batted an eye.

The International Police, however, was the complete opposite. Since the breakout, or rather, the extraction, not a single soul working for the agency had had any sort of breaks or breathers, as everyone was scrambling to find the six missing men. Every known communication channel was being monitored, and had been since the breakout. Undercover search teams had flown all throughout Sinnoh, scouring populated cities and remote villages, and grassy fields and rocky mountain landscapes alike for the men. International's agents even turned to underworld mobsters and gang leaders to see if they'd heard any whispers. All efforts had since yielded no results. The six men were effectively, and quite plainly, gone.

That was when they decided to turn to an off-the-books asset. An elite trainer known throughout the world for his consistent participation in the various regional tournaments. As a child and an adolescent, this trainer had been...perhaps a little better than other trainers his age. However, four years of isolated training in some of the most inhospitable terrains across Kanto; the likes of Mount Silver, Cerulean Cave, and the uncharted forests outside the regional boundaries, had toughened up his Pokémon and body to the very limit.

Ash Ketchum, aged nineteen, stepped off the final step of his private jet on onto the tarmac of Jubilife International Airport. His unruly dark hair whipped in the dying roar of the jet and he smoothed out the blazer he'd thrown on before leaving his house. As per usual, Pikachu sat on his shoulder, already scouting out its surroundings.

The plane had come to a stop in an enormous garage, a warehouse really, on the border of the tarmac. The cold evening air tried relentlessly to creep inside, but fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling kept it at bay.

One more man stepped off the plane behind Ash, a middle-aged man with a permanent frown and a brown trench coat.

"Right this way, Mr. Ketchum," Looker said, striding past Ash and ushering him to follow. "We have transport to your safehouse just ahead."

Ash sighed and followed the older man, slinging the rest of his backpack on his shoulder, muttering to himself. The eight hour flight from Kanto had left him drained, and all he wanted right now was a comfortable bed and some well-deserved sleep. Even before Looker had turned up out of nowhere that morning, he'd been training at Professor Oak's ranch alongside his other Pokémon. The only things he'd had time for before being whisked off to Sinnoh was a three minute shower and a crude packing job. Needless to say, he was a little grouchy. Though he'd been told he'd being seeing an old friend. Maybe that was something he could look forward to.

"Are you listening, Mr. Ketchum?" Looker asked, furrowing his brows and startling Ash out of his exhaustion.

"Sorry, what was that?" Ash mumbled. He hadn't even noticed Looker stopped walking.

"I was just saying that we'd be parting ways here," Looker repeated. "I'll be running my own operations alongside Professor Rowan at his lab in Sandgem. As I understand, he has a network of colleagues across Sinnoh that I hope I'll be able to utilize in order to assist in our search for the fugitives."

Ash nodded. "Hm."

Frankly, he was only half-listening to what Looker was saying. It was incredibly difficult to give any significant amount of attention to the problem at hand, because despite the fact that he was the International Police's last hope of finding the escaped men, he still hadn't been told anything about who they were or why they were so dangerous.

"I wish you luck Ash," Looker declared, extending his hand. "Hopefully by our next meeting, we'll have at least one of them in our custody."

"Amen to that," Ash replied, gripping Looker's hand and giving it a firm shake. "Good luck to you too."

Looker nodded and took a step back. A white limousine stood parked just behind him, the door already ajar and beckoning Ash to enter. Ash exhaled loudly one more time before adjusting his backpack and ducking into the vehicle. The interior was dark; intimate and roomy. Pikachu immediately leapt off his shoulder onto the leather seat next to Ash's own, curling up right there and closing his eyes. Ash smiled to himself. There was no way he wasn't falling asleep on the ride into the city.

Outside the tinted windows, Ash saw Looker address the driver, most likely telling him where to go, and the next thing he knew, they were off, driving out of the garage and out onto the open tarmac. The driver took a side gate back onto the main road, and the stifling lights of the city did nothing to stop him from drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Wake up. Hey, c'mon man, wake up," was the voice of the driver shaking him awake a half hour later.

Ash sat up, having slumped over sometime during the ride. Pikachu lay on the leather seat next to him just waking up as well, using his tiny paws to rub his eyes open. Wiping the dribble of drool that had seeped from the corner of his mouth, Ash snatched up his backpack from the floor of the limo and got out. Immediately, the chill of the outside air and the humidity of cigarette smoke and city grime awakened his senses.

"Let's go Pikachu, we're here," he said, reaching out with his arm so Pikachu could scamper up. The electric mouse did just that, and Ash took one last look into the limo to ensure he wasn't forgetting anything. It was just now that he noticed the extensive stock of liquor the limo harbored, and he half wished that he'd tried a bit of it. But that was moot now. Now, he'd be meeting "an old friend," whatever that meant.

The limousine was parked in front of a large garage door, presumably for the entire building. The condo itself was fairly modest for a building in Jubilife; it looked to only be about twenty stories, and neon advertisements, commonplace on almost every building in the city, were all but absent. Thankfully, International had chosen a location that was quite a ways away from the cacophonous hustle and bustle of the downtown area, to which Ash was very grateful.

"Well, uh...if you don't need anything else, I'll be on my way," the driver said, bouncing on his heels awkwardly. Probably because he wasn't used to shuttling teenagers.

Ash nodded in his general direction and the driver, almost too quickly, jumped back into the front seat and drove away back into evermoving streets. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled, gazing on the sight in front of him. The condo was situated on a hill, and as such, from his vantage point, he could see the entire city sprawled out ahead. A psychedelic light show of pinks, yellows, and blues, splashed across a canvas of skyscrapers that reached the balmy heavens. Ash never considered himself a city guy, always preferring quiet and quaint towns like Pallet, but Jubilife did have a certain nightlife vibe to it that made him a little more appreciative of the larger things in life.

Turning away from the hypnotic vista, Ash walked over to the condo's entrance and scanned the array of numbered buttons on the intercom. He'd been told on the plane that he'd be in room eleven, so he wasted no time in pressing the appropriate button. Presumably, whoever he was meeting would be waiting in his room, ready to buzz him into the building.

This was exactly the case.

"Hello?" a deep, obviously electronically modified voice droned through the intercom.

"Yeah, hi," Ash said, leaning closer to the speaker. Noticing a bright red button beneath the speaker, he cursed and jammed it down. "Hello?" He repeated. "This is Ash Ketchum."

The other line remained quiet for a few moments, the only audible sound being a soft static in the voice's absence. Then it spoke up again.

"Welcome back to Jubilife City, Ash. I'll be waiting in your room."

On cue, the intercom went dead and suddenly, the door into the complex started buzzing. Ash walked over to it and pushed on it. It opened easily, the locking mechanism having been disabled. As Ash stepped in, the door behind him closed on its own, and the buzzing stopped once the door clicked back into place.

The lobby was nothing to write home about. A vase of dying flowers atop a cheap decorative table and several artsy paintings on the wall were the main attractions of the condo's base floor, so Ash wasted no time marveling, instead walking straight to the elevator on the opposite side of the room. A click of the elevator's single, silver button and a minute later, He was standing outside room eleven.

Ash turned to Pikachu, who seemed to be interested in the smell of something on the other side of the dark wooden door. Its nose twitched frantically and it seemed to be desperate to get off Ash's shoulder into at whatever or whoever was in the room.

"What's up Pikachu?" Ash muttered, knocking on the door. "Think you know who it is?"

His question only made Pikachu even more agitated, most likely because the electric mouse couldn't communicate back.

Though, Ash didn't have to wait long. The door to his room opened and a tall, slender woman stepped into the doorframe. Sun-bleached blonde hair tumbled down past her shoulders endlessly and all the natural beauty of her body remained tucked within a tight business coat and long black slacks. She looked at the younger man and grinned.

"Long time no see, Ash," Cynthia beamed, opening the door even further to allow him entry. "You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you!"

Ash smiled back and stepped inside. "Hey Cynthia. I'm guessing you're the one I'm supposed to be meeting?"

The Sinnoh Champion nodded and walked further into the room, ushering for Ash to follow. He did just that and pushed the door shut behind him. The interior of his room was not at all what he'd been expecting. A fully furnished kitchen sit off to the left, with a modest dining area to the right. In front of him was the same bright landscape he'd seen outside; nothing between him and the outside besides one enormous floor to ceiling window. And just in front of the gorgeous view was a decked out array of leather furniture surrounding an expensive looking coffee table.

"This is quite the place," Ash said, nodding, clearly impressed and pleased.

Cynthia strode over to the coffee table and organized a the multitude of documents sprawled across it. "Yup, consider yourself lucky. Most of International's assets are usually set up with a one bedroom." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, exhaling loudly. "Sorry about the mess. International's been slingshotting me around Sinnoh all day and I haven't been able to get any work done, so I decided to set up shop here."

Ash waved his hand. "It's no problem. Though I would like to know what the hell is going on and why the hell I need to be here."

Cynthia frowned. "You still don't know?"

"Looker wasn't feeling very generous with the details. He said I'd be getting the rest from you."

"I was told I'd be briefing you, but I had know idea you didn't even know why you were here," Cynthia replied, shaking her head in empathy. "Must be kind of frustrating, huh?"

Ash inhaled sharply. "I did have plans. But, it doesn't really matter now, right? I'm here, so let's get talking. I'm exhausted."

Cynthia grinned and motioned to the seat across from the one she's just sat down in. "Be thankful you've only had to make that flight once. The League headquarters are over at the Indigo Plateau in Kanto, and I'm flying out there at least once a month for meetings. Believe me when I say I feel your pain."

Ash smirked and took his seat. Pikachu scampered off his partner's shoulder to go investigate the rest of the room, and Cynthia watched it go.

"He's still a Pikachu, huh?"

"His choice, not mine," Ash responded. "But trust me, he can still dish out a serious ass-whooping in battle."

Cynthia laughed. "I don't doubt it! Maybe if we have time sometime later, we'll have to put him up against Garchomp."

Ash snorted. "Yeah, sure. How about Pikachu versus Milotic? That sounds pretty fair to me!"

The Sinnoh Champion giggled again, and picked up a folder from the table. "If we have time, if we have time." She blew her last laugh out and looked him square in the face. "You were wondering why you were here?" Without waiting for a response, she handed him the folder. "These men were broken out of International's...well, international prison last night, and were seen headed here, to Sinnoh. We have no idea who masterminded their escape, but this prison is the highest security lockup in the world. Whoever executed this operation must be extremely powerful to have done it successfully ."

Ash took the folder and opened it, zeroing in on the first document, which contained, among other information, the six mug shots of each man. Upon seeing them, Ash's face contorted into a frown of disbelief. "And...and you have no idea who got them out?"

"What we're more concerned with is why," Cynthia responded. "We want to know the reason, the motive behind setting these men free."

Ash continued sifting through the folder, though there was nothing else of substance really, just reports of the breakout from the various people who'd seen it. "Giovanni Sakaki, Maxie Matsubusa, Archie Aogiri, Cyrus Akagi, Ghetsis Harmonia, Elisio Lysandre...how?"

"I've been asking myself the same question all day. One perpetrator was able to infiltrate the prison in Canalave City and flee with the men by helicopter towards the main island. Word hasn't gotten around to the entire region yet, but Canalave's now under martial law while the search is underway, last I heard." She sighed and placed her fingers on her temple. "Six of the most dangerous criminals to appear in the last decade, all gone in one night. It shouldn't be possible, and yet…"

Ash rubbed his face as if trying to force himself to believe what had happened. "So...the International Police called me here, and they expect me to do what, exactly?"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "I would've thought you'd have figured that out already. Still as thick headed as ever, I see."

"I'm tired," Ash snapped, but he shook his head in apology immediately. "Sorry. I mean, yeah, I guess I know why your people asked me..."

"You've met all of these men face to face. If anyone can get in their heads and find them, it's you. But the entirety of International is devoting its resources to this crisis, and if it makes you feel better, I'll be running my own investigation as well." She leveled her eyes with his. "You're not alone Ash." Suddenly, her mouth stretched into a wide grin that made Ash frown in concern.

"What?"

"In fact, I may have heard a little something about that," Cynthia smirked, relishing Ash's reaction. "Something about a partner that'd be arriving at Jubilife tomorrow to assist you. She's also a powerful trainer from Kanto, but she's a rookie when it comes to travel. As I understand it, she's never even been outside her hometown."

Ash's frown deepened. "Who? What partner? I don't want a partner, especially not a rookie. I don't need anyone else to look after."

Cynthia held up her hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just telling you what I heard."

"But you know who it is."

"I don't."

"You do."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes at the younger man. "No, I do not. Though I hear she's around your age, so you two should get along nicely."

Ash shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"Oh c'mon Ash, you're just being a little grouchy since you're tired. I'm sure by tomorrow you'll be glad you aren't going on this endeavor alone."

"I didn't ask for any help."

Cynthia scowled, genuinely concerned at Ash's sudden hostility. "Something the matter, Ash? The you from seven years ago would never have gotten so...uppity at meeting new people."

"It's nothing."

"Surely it's something," Cynthia countered. "You never act this way."

"I said it's nothing," Ash replied sharply, clearly signifying he didn't want to talk. Cynthia took the cue and decided not to push the envelope further, instead, beginning to gather her papers off the coffee table.

"Well, I suppose I'm off then," she said quietly. "Everything you need is in that folder, including my personal number in case you need anything. Other than that—"

Cynthia reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, having just gotten a text message. She frowned upon reading the message, which prompted Ash to inquire what it entailed.

"What is it?"

Cynthia shook her head, her eyes still on her phone and tapping out a response. "It's a message from Flint. Says 'check the TV now' in all caps."

Ash wasted no time in seizing the remote buried beneath a few of Cynthia papers and flicking on the power. The flatscreen bolted to the wall just beside the window turned on. Fizzling static popped into the screen, but a moment later, the signal came through.

"—message to all you fine folk here in Sinnoh! My name is Archie Aogiri, and I just broke out of prison!"

Cynthia looked up from her phone and scowled. "What the hell…?"

"Some of y'all might recognize me as the former leader of Team Aqua. But either way, if you do or not, it don't matter. What does matter, however, is what I'm about to do. You see I'm here at Jubilife TV, broadcasting live to you all, all over the Sinnoh region! I've got about a hundred hostages begging me not to cut their fingers off up here, so don't anyone be thinking they're gonna be a hero."

"Now, my friends. We are entering an age of change! The world is changing, and it's all starting here in Sinnoh! Breakthroughs have been made! Discoveries of unparalleled wonder lie at our fingertips! It's time to seize what is rightfully ours. The world! The planet! The universe! We've just barely scratched the surface of a worldly cinderblock Pokémon have been burrowing down through for centuries! But I think it's time we blow this cinderblock apart! Remember what I said about fuses?"

He laughed and laughed and laughed, and Ash and Cynthia could only glance at each other in utter disbelief for a moment before Archie started talking again.

"Now, with that being said, we declare war on you all! Yes, all of you! If you have ears and you can hear what I'm saying, you are now at war! My colleagues and I are about to ascend far past the likes of humanity, and we're disgusted with what we see. The common man has not evolved fast enough, and the swift blade of a little thing called natural selection is swooping in to reap the dead it deserves. So I say to you, ascend! Transcend! Throw off your shackles and snatch up what is rightfully yours! Because if you don't, I sure as hell will."

He grinned and held up a hand. "And from all of us here at Jubilife TV, we wish everyone a happy, happy evening! Good night!"

Not a second later, the broadcast shut off and all the remained on the TV screen was static.

Cynthia looked to Ash, but the young man was already moving towards the door. "Ash, where're you going?"

"Pikachu, let's go!" Ash yelled, scooping up the rodent once it had appeared from the other room.

"Ash!"

The air around Ash's hand warbled, and blue flames began to lick up his clenched fist. He turned to the Sinnoh Champion, who gasped. Ash's formerly auburn eyes were now a blazing electric-blue. He brought his Aura-infused fist to his chest and bowed. "I'm going to war against Archie Aogiri."

 **Next — Chapter 2 : Jubilife TV Takeover**

* * *

 **Ehhh, I could've done better. I'll probably come back to this and fix it later.**

 **So there it is. That's the first chapter. I understand that Archie's (and his colleagues') goals are a little confusing and vague, but all will be explained in due time. For anyone who was under the impression this was a RayShipping (Ash x Cynthia) fic, it's NOT. The girl I'm putting Ash with isn't really a mainstream ship. However, the character I'm using will be heavily modified by me so it's still nice and bubbly and cute. That being said, I hope you stick around to learn Ash's partner, and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Don't forget to drop a review, it doesn't take long and it makes me happy ;)**

 _ **Subject 666**_


	2. Jubilife TV Takeover

**Hey. You're back for another chapter. Thanks for tuning in again where we'll get to see Archie's ass get kicked :)**

* * *

 **The Sinnoh Crisis**

 **Chapter 2**

 **—** ** **Jubilife TV Takeover—****

* * *

 ****Archie paced slowly between the clumps of huddled citizens cowering at his feet, savoring the moment of when his foot hit the ground, and everyone near clutched their fellows closer. Such pathetic filth. The security in the building was laughable. Twelve guards in total. Six in the lobby and six in the studio. All of them were now dead. As Archie walked through the rank and file of his hostages, he wondered if this is what being a god felt like. All inferior beings beneath him, pleading for mercy; he, the all-powerful god wielding the choice to end or perpetuate their lives. They were at his mercy.

"I wonder if anyone's gonna die tonight," Archie wondered aloud, stopping, looking at the ceiling, and stroking his beard. The hostages shivered in terror, and he smiled to himself before leveling his gaze and continuing his pacing. "I only wonder because it wouldn't actually be my fault if any of you did. It's such an irony. The only way you die is if someone on the outside tries to save you. But you live if they decide to do nothing and leave your fates up to me, a criminal!" He guffawed, tossing a Pokéball up and down casually. "You know, I wouldn't mind if someone attempted a rescue. It'd only make tonight even more interesting."

He continued pacing around the studio, a large room on the top floor of Jubilife TV complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and high-tech display screens to showcase everything from the weather to the most recent murder. Everyone in the building that was still alive had been moved this the studio, and in his surveying, he caught notice of a woman near the back of the room, by the news anchor's desk. Frowning in intrigue, he walked over to her.

"Hello."

The woman was shaking furiously at being personally addressed by her captor, and she clutched her head in her hands, rocking back and forth uncontrollably.

"You're lookin' kinda cute," Archie said, running a gloved finger over her tear stained cheek. "How 'bout you look at me while I'm talking to you so I don't have to make you."

The woman turned shakily towards her assailant, her tears leaving the makeup on her face smudged. Her teeth chattered and she looked ready to have a full mental breakdown. Nevertheless, she fearfully flicked her eyes up at Archie.

The former Aqua leader grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard, right? Now let's see…" He narrowed his eyes and studied her face. The woman seemed to be slightly more calm now, probably more confused than terrified.

"Hah! I knew it! It is you!" Archie exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "You're that reporter I used to j—"

Suddenly, the wall-sized window behind Archie shattered, and everyone in the room screamed. Archie threw himself behind the desk, spewing curses. Peeking over the desk, he saw that the newly-arrived threat was not a sniper shot as he'd originally thought, but rather a Charizard, and a figure atop it. Cursing again, he looked to the ground where the reporter had been, but she was gone. Looking up from behind the desk again, he saw all of this hostages making a mad dash for the doors of the studio. Although he hadn't locked them, no one had tried to escape before. That was not the case any longer. Within twenty seconds of the Charizard's arrival, all his hostages were gone from the studio.

The lights above flickered, but power could not be maintained and they went out, sparks flying from the overloaded electrical cables overhead. Now, the only light in the room emanated from Charizard's smoldering tail, which casted a haunted glow on its passenger's face. The figure dismounted and stepped fully into the light of the dragon's fire.

"Archie," Ash said. "It's been a while."

Archie stepped out from behind his barricade, brushing minute shards of glass from his coat. He stalked around to the other side of the desk, his gaze never leaving the young Aura Guardian.

"Am I supposed to recognize you?" Archie said in a clipped tone.

Ash's face remained blank as he sized up his enemy. "I'd think you would. It was thanks to the efforts of my friends, Pikachu, and I that you're still alive today." At the mention of his name, Pikachu's ears perked and its cheeks began to crackle with latent electric power.

Archie narrowed his eyes and looked the younger man up and down. "The little boy with the Pikachu. I remember you."

Charizard glared at the former Aqua leader and huffed out a breath of hot smoke, but Ash placed a hand on its hide. "Don't worry, Charizard. I'll handle this." Removing Charizard's pokéball from his belt, he recalled the pseudo-dragon and pocketed it.

With Charizard gone, the only light came from the city lights and the moon outside. Wind whipped throughout the crippled studio due to the open window and elevated velocity of the floor they were on. The clouds outside parted, and a shaft of unbroken moonlight illuminated the stretch of floor between Archie and Ash.

"You're going back where you belong," Ash proclaimed.

Archie's taut face contorted into confusion, and then into rage. "How the hell did you get up here?" he demanded.

"If you're asking about the flock of Flygon outside, you'll find them in craters on the pavement," Ash spat.

"What?" Archie growled, his face scrunched into an expression of pure hatred. The former Aqua leader glowered down at Ash, as if he expected a 'just kidding.' When it never came, Archie stomped down on the linoleum floor in rage, and snatched an ultra ball from his belt. "I'm gonna murder you!" he roared.

In that instance, Ash's eyes flared azure, and a demonic breath echoed through the room as if the wind itself had spoken. His fists caught fire, ethereal flames roaring into existence like they were about to brand reality itself. Pikachu's eyes melted into blue as well, and the electricity snapping on its cheeks quickly morphed from golden to cobalt.

Archie's eyes widened. "What in the hell are you? Fuck, Araquanid, now! Lunge!"

A blur with too many legs dropped from the ceiling where it had been concealed, and landed deftly on the ground, racing towards its enemies with a high-pitched shriek. Just as it reached out with its scythe-like legs to cleave Ash in half, Pikachu leapt from his master's shoulder without command and landed a fearsome Iron Tail directly on the spider's midsection. Araquanid howled and took a few steps back, now wary of the electric mouse's unexpected potency.

"The hell is that thing?" Ash muttered, having never encountered a Pokémon anything like it before.

"Get back in there and use Poison Jab, Araquanid! C'mon!" Archie yelled, tossing out his second Pokémon. His ultra ball snapped open, and a monstrous Claydol emptied out, its two arms orbiting fiercely around its ornate body, psychic energy primed and already ready to be unleashed. "Shadow Ball now, Claydol! Show this kid who the fuck he's messin' with!" he screamed.

Claydol's multitude of eyes flashed blue, and two roiling masses of darkness coalesced around it. An enraged rumble reverberated from Claydol's form as it launched the attack, the twin spheres ripping through the air towards Pikachu in the matter of moments. At the same time, the water spider blitzed forward, skittering up the wall and onto the ceiling, racing towards Pikachu. Where the tips of its poison-imbued legs touched, the plaster steamed and smoldered, melting from the spider's noxious acid.

Any normal human faced with speed and precision of Archie's attacks would've had no time to analyze the situation and react fast enough to save themselves. But Ash was no normal human. The Aura in his eyes flared even brighter as he relied on its magics to enhance his sight and reaction. Pikachu needed no command to dodge, and it did exactly that, allowing Claydol's Shadow Balls to fly out the broken window and off into the night. Ash himself on the other hand sent his Aura-enhanced punch straight into the oncoming Araquanid's underbelly, catapulting the spider into the ground and cracking part of its external carapace in the process.

"You're going back to jail, Archie," Ash declared, lowering his fist back to his side. "The world has no room for those whose sole ambition is the destruction of innocent lives."

Archie glared its his opponent. "Who the hell do you think you are, coming up here all high and mighty, planning on savin' the people. You think that if you defeat me, the world is saved? You goddamned idiot!" Spit flew from his mouth and he squeezed his fists even harder. "I've said my piece. It's too late to stop what's coming. And if you think you'll be able to just 'cause you got some sort of wizard powers, then you're some kinda fucked in the head! Even now, my colleagues are fittin' to hit our next target! I'm just a distraction! Whatever plan you put together in coming here, consider it wasted!"

"I beat you before and I'll do it again!" Ash snarled. "Then I'll dismantle your entire band of crooks! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on that spider! I'll take care of Claydol."

"End them!" Archie bellowed. "End them both!"

As both of Archie's Pokémon charged up their next attacks, Pikachu leapt forward, the air around it beginning to galvanize. The acrid odor of ozone filled the studio, and azure-tinged static began to swirl around the electric mouse. A terrifying surge of electricity suddenly ignited around Pikachu, and a cobalt bolt of lightning snapped through the air and landed on Araquanid. The water spider squealed in agony as Pikachu's currents electrified its tenuous body, roasting its bulbous head within into the bubble surrounding it. Unable to keep up its assault any longer, Araquanid legs gave out, and it slipped to the floor, electrical burns covering its entire body.

To counter Claydol's next Shadow Ball attack, Ash quickly summoned an Aura Sphere between his palms and launched it at the Psychic-type's head. The Aura Sphere found its mark, and Claydol hummed as it was blown back into the screens behind the anchors' desk. Cracks webbed out from the point of impact, and the colors on-screen began to glitch out and flicker as Claydol slumped to the floor.

Archie's head whipped between his two Pokémon. Turning a murderous gaze towards Ash, he withdrew Araquanid's pokéball from his belt and beamed the spider back.

"You hateful little runt," he growled, threat saturating his every word. "Just what in the hell are you?"

Ash raised his head, his eyes illuminating his face ominously. "Ash Ketchum, Aura Guardian of the sovereign kingdom of Rota. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Archie smirked. "Guardian, shmardian, my ass. Why don't I show you who the fuck I am!" Unclasping another ultra ball from his belt, he yelled, "Let's see if you can handle this!" Jamming the release button, an enormous form emptied into the studio beside Claydol. A massive tail raked the wall behind it, tearing what was rest of the screens to shreds, and its wings scraped the ceiling. Then Salamence roared, shaking the entire top floor with its heralding shout. It turned its baleful glare on Ash, snorting in challenge.

"Now, Salamence, use Dragon Breath!" Archie bellowed. He laughed, fascinated to see how the Aura Guardian would respond.

Salamence sucked in a breath, then expelled it. Fiery draconic energy blasted from the dragon's gaping maw and engulfed the the space between it and its opponent in a matter of moments. Having no time to respond with an attack of his own, Ash threw up a hasty shield to deflect the dragonfire. A rich barrier of pure energy flashed into existence in front of his outstretched hands, reservoirs of Aura within his palms powering the shield. His palms began to burn as the Dragon Breath continued its relentless assault, and Ash added more Aura to the barrier. The pain subsided, but only for an instant, as the attack was beginning to lick at the edges of his shield, tendrils of searing dragonfire tickling the air on his two sides.

Seeing his master in trouble, Pikachu sprinted forward, electricity beginning to dance across his skin as he did. Leaping into the air, electricity fully engulfing the mouse's small form, Pikachu slammed into Salamence, expelling all of the power within his Volt Tackle into the dragon's massive frame. Salamence let loose an ear-splitting scream and ceased its attack against Ash, now turning on its new assailant. It roared again, shattering the remainder of the windows in the room, and charged up another roiling Dragon Breath within his mouth.

"No, Salamence, go for the boy! You gotta take out the boy!" Archie barked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Ash dispelled his shield and snatched another pokéball from his belt, enlarging it. "Fire Spin!" he roared, deploying his second Pokémon. The contents of the ball poured onto the scorched ground beside Ash, and Charizard lifted its head to greet its enemies.

Charizard stomped forward, his tail flicking out from behind him. The flame on its tip suddenly flared up, and a vehement inferno spiraled to life. Just as Salamence unleashed its Dragon Breath, Charizard's tornado of whirling conflagration shot forward like a comet entering the atmosphere, and where the two attacks met in the middle, an effulgent white light erupted, the explosion akin to that of the birth of a star. Ash and Archie both shielded their eyes, and from the attacks' point of contact, white hot slag bled to the floor, almost instantly melting through it, and down to the floor below.

"Shit! This whole building's going down if the battle keeps up in here" Ash bit out, leaping onto Charizard's back. "Pikachu, to me!"

"Psychic!" Archie snarled. "Target the Pikachu! Don't let them get away!"

Claydol glided out from behind the news anchors' desk where it'd been slumped, its eyes glowing a fervent blue. A distorted burst of potent psychic energy blasted the area where Pikachu had been standing mere milliseconds ago, but the mouse had managed to hop to the side just in time. The floor splintered, crunching into rubble where the missed attack had hit, but Pikachu didn't stop to admire his agility. Two more leaps, and he was once again atop Ash's shoulder.

"Now, fly Charizard!" Ash shouted, and with a single front flap of Charizard's mammoth wings, they were out of the smoldering studio and into the sky above Jubilife. Ash clapped the underside of Charizard's neck twice; a directive to fly up, and the pseudo-dragon responded instantly, shooting skyward, out of Archie's view.

Back inside the studio, the former Aqua leader also mounted his flyer, the fire alarms and sprinklers in the room just beginning to go off. "After them, Salamence! Claydol, cover our six!" Without a moment's hesitation, Salamence jetted forward through one of the shattered windows, tearing through the framework still in place, Claydol following after. However, once they were outside, the Charizard and his trainer were nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, Claydol hummed loudly behind him, and Archie whipped around. A blistering stream of fire hailing from above was headed straight for Salamence!

"Psychic!" Archie screamed, throwing all of his weight down on Salamence to urge it down. The dragon responded, howling, and dipped away to avoid the oncoming fire attack.

Claydol's eyes once again shimmered blue as it manipulated the approaching conflagration, using its telekinetic abilities to send the fire back at its sender. The billowing inferno whipped around one hundred and eighty degrees, mere inches from Claydol's body, and shot back up towards Charizard.

One hundred feet up, hovering far above the roof of Jubilife TV, Ash watched Archie's counter to Charizard's Flamethrower with rapt attention. Broiling flames still streamed from Charizard's maw, despite the fact that it wasn't even reaching its intended target. Even though the rebounded fire was currently on a collision course straight with the orange pseudo-dragon, Ash paid it no mind.

"Alright Charizard, that's enough," Ash commanded, and Charizard ceased its attack, huffing out a cloud of smoke in its wake. "Guess we needed your help after all, huh?"

Charizard snorted, never taking his beady eyes off the rebounded Flamethrower. It was now only seconds away from engulfing him.

"That should just about do it," Ash muttered. Like the flip of a switch, his eyes melted back into electric-blue and sapphire flames flared up around his hands, coiling around his wrists. Simultaneously, Charizard once again skyrocketed upwards past the roof of Jubilife TV, effectively avoiding his own attack. Gathering Aura between his palms, he launched an Aura Sphere straight down at Salamence. "C'mon, just a little higher," he muttered.

Seeing the impending attack, and knowing it'd be impossible to avoid, Archie kicked his dragon in its hindquarters. "Crunch, now! Bite that fucking Charizard's head off!"

Salamence roared, blitzing skyward at a forty-five degree angle like a bullet. Once it was upon the Aura Sphere, it opened its mouth, its fangs glowing amethyst, and tore through the attack. Without even slowing down, it continued on its current velocity towards Charizard; all that was left in the Aura Sphere's wake was a quickly dispersing cloud of violet mist. Claydol followed, dancing and spinning through the air like hysteric marionette.

Back up on Charizard's back, Ash grinned. Perfect.

Beneath him, a magnificent electric shock lit up the sky, an arc of lightning shooting from the massive broadcasting antenna on the roof of Jubilife TV. Having used the antenna as a lightningrod for his attack, Pikachu's Thunderbolt blitzed down to Salamence and Archie faster than the eye could follow, lashing the dragon, its torturous howl echoing through the skies above Jubilife. After they'd fled the interior of the building, Ash had dropped Pikachu off on the roof in hopes of launching a surprise attack, and as it'd happened, it'd worked to perfection. Meanwhile, Salamence's wings beat frantically as it struggled to stay airborne, and Ash took its moment of weakness as a chance to strike.

"Dragon Tail!"

Charizard nosedived, its tail rippling with jade draconic power, the flame on his tail now throbbing violet. As Charizard neared his target, Archie seemed to catch wind of what was happening, and was now yelling and beating Salamence's neck to furiously in an effort to get it to dodge in time. The massive dragon veered sideways, but Charizard's tail still slammed Salamence's hindquarters. Because of the reckless attack, Archie was thrown from Salamence's back, barely managing to seize his dragon's neck before he could tumble down to the pavement far below.

"Shit, fuck! Let me down! Let me down!" Archie screamed, his feet kicking in midair as he dangled precariously above the glittering skyline of Jubilife City. Salamence huffed and heaved itself up, shooting back toward the roof of Jubilife TV, Charizard in tow.

The moment his feet fell over the solid roof, Archie let go of his partner's neck and dropped down, landing on his feet.

"Pikachu, stop him!" Ash hollered, having just flown over the lip of the roof. Pikachu, who'd been waiting on the other side of the roof for the battle to come to him, wasted no time in sprinting forward, charging another Thunderbolt as he ran. Salamence touched down next to its master, ready to defend him.

Leaping into the air, Pikachu fired off his Thunderbolt, a lethal bolt of lightning zigzagging towards the dragon at a mind-numbing speed.

However, as if from nowhere, Claydol appeared and flew directly in front of the attack, effectively absorbing the hit. Its eyes throbbed blue with fury, and its arms spun ferociously around its body.

Charizard landed just beside Pikachu, cracking the floor under his immense bulk, and Ash immediately leapt off and issued his next command.

"Flamethrower!" Ash rumbled. A torrent of scalding fire roared from Charizard's maw, razing the space between it and Claydol in an instant, and engulfing the Psychic-type within the second. Claydol's moans of agony could not be heard through the conflagration, but when Charizard did finally cease its assault, its blackened body instantly dropped to the floor, rolling a bit before coming to a stop at Archie's feet.

Rage saturated every feature of Archie's body; his gritted teeth, clenched fists, and distorted forehead. Clutching Claydol's ultra ball, he recalled his fallen Psychic-type and leveled his stormy gaze with Ash's.

"One day," he said, his voice shaking with anger. "You're going to be very sorry you chose to be a hero tonight. Someday, sometime far in the future, I'll—"

Suddenly, a blazing white spotlight lit up the roof. A black military-grade chopper ascended above Jubilife TV, shining its blinding searchlight over the two battling trainers. Beside the chopper, a comet engulfed in stark indigo light shot from the heavens, and, without slowing itself at all, smashed straight into Salamence. The Hoenn-native dragon screeched for a half a second before it disappeared under the immensity of the new arrival. Archie threw himself behind an exhaust tube as the concrete beneath Salamence fractured beneath it and sprayed out in all directions, plunging the roof into a haze of smoke and stone dust.

The helicopter descended, and when it was about ten feet from touching down, one of the doors slid open, and Cynthia jumped out, landing on the roof right next to Ash. The chopper meandered for a bit before navigating over to the helipad and finally setting down. The rotors began to slow, and the rest of the International Police's agents clambered out.

"I see you're also proficient in the art of badass entrances," Ash smirked, absentmindedly letting his arm down so that Pikachu could scamper back up.

The Sinnoh Champion smiled. "I guess you could say that."

"What took you so long?"

"You were putting on a great show. I didn't want to end it too quickly."

Ash rolled his eyes and removed Charizard's pokéball from his belt. He recalled the pseudo-dragon and replaced it, walking over to the wreck that was Archie's Salamence. Its entire body was bruised beyond measure, and several dents in its sinewy skin indicated fractured bones.

Garchomp lifted itself from its opponent, a guttural growl emanating from its throat as it took a step backwards to allow its trainer to inspect its handiwork.

"Excellent work, Garchomp," Cynthia praised, recalling her ace Pokémon. "Now, return."

International's black armor-clad agents surged ahead now that Cynthia's Garchomp was no longer in their way. Four of them made a perimeter around the inanimate Salamence, their various just-deployed Pokémon standing point to ensure the pseudo-legendary did not wake. The other two went and retrieved Archie from behind his obstruction, each of them gripping one of his arms tightly.

"Get offa me you pieces of shit!" he spat, struggling to break free from their grasp, but to no avail. The agents, one of which had his belt lined with Archie's six ultra balls, brought the man right in front of Cynthia, who looked down at the former Aqua leader in scorn.

"Archie Aogiri," she sneered.

"Fuck you want, bitch?"

Without ever taking her stormy eyes off his face, she backhanded him in the face with a resounding clap. Archie yelped and glared at the Champion. "If you ever speak to me like that again, I'll make sure you're buried in the deepest, darkest cell the International Police has to offer where you'll never, ever see the light of day again. All you'll get is a cookie and a cracker a day, and if you step one toe out of line, your guards will beat you to _shit_. Do I make myself clear?"

Archie smirked and shook his head. "Crystal."

Cynthia's lips twitched up in a mock smile. "Good." She turned to the two agents restraining him. "Take him to the chopper. I'll be there in a minute."

The agents nodded and walked off, dragging a furiously muttering Archie with them. Once they were alone, the Sinnoh Champion turned to Ash.

"You okay?" she asked, cursorily inspecting his body for any injuries.

Ash shook his head. "I'm fine. Still tired though."

Cynthia laughed. "I think you've earned your rest, Mr. Ketchum. You did a great service to the people of Jubilife tonight."

"It was nothing, really."

"No, seriously Ash," Cynthia said. "You could have easily died tonight for your efforts. So on behalf of Jubilife and its people, I thank you."

"It's not necessary," Ash replied, beginning to walk towards the chopper. "It's what you brought me out here to do."

Cynthia raised a brow, but said nothing, instead following the young Aura Guardian to the chopper. "Let's go," she said to the remaining four agents still on the roof. "Get that Salamence packed up." The four agents recalled their Pokémon and scrambled back to the chopper, while the agent with Archie's pokéballs returned to beam back the Hoenn dragon, after which, he too returned to the chopper.

Once everyone was onboard, the chopper's rotors started once more, and before long, they were off to the International Police's Jubilife branch. Ash was exhausted, truly now, but he refused to fall asleep in the company of Archie. No, after all that, he wasn't about to show any signs of weakness now. The man himself was lounging comfortably in his handcuffs, smiling to himself, but Ash retained a steel glare on him the whole ride there.

They touched down fifteen minutes later. Ash didn't remember much of what happened once he got out of the chopper and onto a helipad on the facility's roof. Archie was herded away to a temporary cell while Cynthia walked with Ash back down to the lobby, telling him that she'd be personally escorting Archie to a more permanent cell, and that he'd be able to lie low until they could glean some intel from the former Aqua leader. Ash didn't pay much attention. He was far past his second and third winds, and he needed rest, now. Eventually, Cynthia left his side and International personnel ushered him to a car to take him back to his condo, thankfully that he did not end up having to drive.

Again, he fell asleep on the car ride and his chauffeur woke him up when they arrived. He didn't even have the energy to thank the driver, though he managed to stumble inside and take the elevator up to his apartment. Like him, Pikachu could hardly stay stable on Ash's shoulder, and he almost fell off twice on their trek back to the room. Once they were inside the apartment, everything came crashing down, including Ash on the sofa. He was asleep within the minute.

 **Next — Chapter 3 : The Rookie**

* * *

 ** **So, that's Chapter 2. Hopefully you enjoyed the fight scene between Ash and Archie, despite it being a little short. I didn't want to go through Archie's entire roster, because that would mean I'd have to burn through most of Ash's, and I want to reveal his team gradually. Speaking of short chapters, I was initially planning on introducing Ash's partner at the end of this chapter, but ultimately I decided it'd fit better at the beginning of the next chapter.****

 **One last thing I forgot to mention last time, Archie's little line from last chapter ("And from all of us here at Jubilife TV, we wish everyone a happy, happy evening!") was kind of a nod to that old thing you had to do to unlock mystery gift in DPPt; tell the dude "everyone happy." Yeah...I doubt anyone got that. It was kinda lame :P**

 **Finally, yes, this is one of those stories where the Pokémon can learn more than four moves. Also, I changed Archie's roster. I wasn't abouta have the almighty Ash fight a fucking Mightyena. Or a Sharpedo out of water. The rest of Archie's Pokémon were Lycanroc, Dhelmise, and Sharpedo. He might come back later. I actually don't know yet.**

 **Leave a review. You know you want to. And stay tuned for Chapter 3. PM if you want to talk. I'm out.**

 _ **Subject 666**_

* * *

 _ **(movesets are always subject to change)**_

 **ASH KETCHUM**

 **Pikachu - Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, Electric Terrain**

 **Charizard - Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Wing Attack, Slash, Dragon Tail, Blast Burn**


	3. The Rookie

**Hey, hey. It's been five months, but we're back. Now that it's summer, I should be able to churn out chapters faster. Enjoy yourselves.**

* * *

 **The Sinnoh Crisis**

 **Chapter 3**

— **The Rookie—**

* * *

High above Sinnoh, cruising through the stratosphere, was an enormous airship. The men who used it last called it the _Plasma Frigate_. However, that name was no longer in use, as Team Plasma had been long disbanded and it now served a master other than Ghetsis. Besides the fact that the airship now ran off traditional energies, it was now retrofitted with numerous thick plates of dark armor made of a nigh indestructible synthetic metal. The solar panels, bowsprit, and cannons lining the sides of the ship had all been removed. Instead, three massive engines in the rear kept the fearsome vessel aloft. The _Plasma Frigate_ was now the _Dreadnought_.

Within the bridge of the _Dreadnought_ , a figure basked in shadow monitored an expansive array of screens in front of her. She was the single mastermind behind the breakout from the International Police's supermax prison in Canalave City. And it was her machinations that were currently terrorizing Sinnoh.

The doors behind her suddenly opened, and another presence entered the room.

"Madam," Lysandre's smooth voice came, announcing his presence. He was dressed as he always was, in a dark suit, his fiery hair still as prominent as ever.

"Elisio," the leader purred. "Am I to assume that Archie's assignment went according to plan?"

"He was successful in taking over Jubilife's television station and delivering our message, but he was apprehended while doing so."

"Is that so? How is that possible?"

"According to the news, it was an Aura Guardian that liberated Archie's hostages and defeated him in battle. He never stood a chance"

The leader raised a brow. "Really? That is interesting. Aura Guardians rarely appear in the public light, and they've certainly never seemed to care about public crises. I wonder what changed…"

"Should we scramble a rescue operation?"

The leader scoffed. "Of course not. Archie Aogiri was never more than brute strength. Nothing upstairs. I didn't expect he'd be able to avoid capture, so I gave him his assignment based on the one thing he's good at."

"Putting on a show?"

"Drawing attention," the leader said, very matter-of-factly. And now that he's done with that, I have no further use for him."

"Do you think he'd open his mouth to the International Police?" Lysandre asked.

"Not on purpose. But I have no doubt in my mind that he'd fall for some classic interrogation trick or another, and end up disclosing something of use."

The leader smiled, her back to Lysandre as she let the weight of what she'd just insinuated sink in.

"So…," Lysandre began. "What do you have in mind?"

"I trust I can leave it up to you to tie up that loose end. Kill him before you begin your assignment. But nothing too public. You still have a job to do."

"Will that be all?"

"Report back to me when he's dead. Then, you know what you need to do."

Lysandre bowed respectfully. "Consider it done, madam." Without another word from either of them, he turned around and departed the bridge.

The leader smiled. Finally, her plans were in motion. Soon, all of Sinnoh would be drenched in darkness. Nothing would be able to stop her…

* * *

Ash woke up at twelve the following day. Despite the extensive number of hours he'd slept, he still felt like shit. When he peeled his sweat-soaked, foul-breathed body from the sofa where he'd crashed last night, it felt like he was crawling out from under a massive pile of dirt. His entire body felt heavy, and no matter how many times he wiped his mouth, there still seemed to be a smudge of drool still smeared on his cheek.

Pikachu was still snoring soundly on the armrest of the sofa, on his back with his arms sprawled out in the air beside him. Ash saw no reason to wake his partner, so he didn't.

His body screamed for a shower, but Ash couldn't bother with that right now. Instead, he trudged straight to the kitchen to find some food; a simple remedy which usually healed mental ailments. Fortunately, the cabinets were stocked, albeit meagerly, with a bit of food, and he pulled a bag of nuts from one of the top shelves. Ripping it open, it dumped some into his hand and shoveled them into his mouth. Although it was nice to get his jaw chewing on something, unlike usual, it didn't make him feel any better, so he ultimately tossed the bag of nuts back on the counter and decided to go to the bathroom to shower up after all.

Turning around, he noticed that Pikachu was up and awake, standing on the floor just outside the kitchen. The two stared at each other in silence, until Pikachu's nose twitched and it pawed into the kitchen. With a single leap, Pikachu hopped onto the counter and nabbed one of the nuts that had fallen out onto the counter, sticking in his mouth cautiously. After chewing the nut slowly for a few seconds, Pikachu shrugged and plopped down onto his behind, opening up the rest of the bag and dumping its contents on the counter.

Ash watched the whole ordeal, but after seeing that his partner was contented, he continued on his path to the shower. Once he'd stripped nude and gotten into the shower, that was when he started to get irritated.

The water was too gentle. He could barely even feel the jets of water coming from the showerhead! What kind of high class, expensive ass shower was this? One that didn't do its fucking job, that's what. He didn't feel refreshed at all. What he needed right now, was a fucking waterfall to pound some sense back into his shoulders.

The blood coursing through his veins seemed to come to a boil, and Ash scrunched his face into an expression of white-hot anger. The tension in his body seemed abundant enough to catapult him up straight through the ceiling. Screaming from his gut, the sound muffled by the steam, he slammed the side of his fist into the porcelain wall of the shower.

 _Really, a shower, Ash? You're gonna take all your shit out against this bony ass shower?_

Taking a deep breath, he unclenched his fists and closed his eyes, letting the water run over his thick mane of hair. As he exhaled, he felt his heart rate begin to slow. That was good. That was what was supposed to happen. Clarity of mind was one of the very first things he'd learned from the monks back at Cameran Palace, and it was a condition they insisted was vital to reaching his fullest potential. If his mind was clouded, he'd never be as strong as he could be.

The water from the shower was still horribly lackluster, but at least Ash wasn't pissed off about it anymore. When he got out of the shower ten minutes later, he felt much better. The unexplainable weight on his shoulders was still very much present, but that was probably because he spent the night on the couch. At this point, he was considering just heading back to sleep, this time, in a real bed.

Wrapping a towel around his lower body, he departed the bathroom, steam flooding out into the hallway. When he reentered the living room, he noticed Pikachu looking out the window silently. Upon his trainer's appearance, Pikachu glanced over, but turned back after he'd realized nothing was up. Meanwhile, Ash went to his bag and threw on a fresh pair of clothes; a t-shirt and a pair of gray sweats would suffice.

Now that he was dressed, he didn't know exactly what to do. Interestingly enough, he wasn't even hungry. Usually food lifted his spirits quite effectively, but today, it didn't seem to interest him at all.

All and all, it was pretty clear, today wasn't going to be a very good day.

Ash plopped down onto the sofa and snatched up the remote from the coffee table to see what the media was saying about last night's events. However, when he turned on the television, the channel defaulted to a smaller news station in a different language. The clip of the overall building had just shifted to an interior shot of the broken studio. All the windows in the room were shattered, and glass shards and puddles of water from the sprinklers covered the floor, or what was left of it. The entirety of the floor was blackened, and there was a gaping hole right in the center of it. Severed electrical wires hung from above, and every now and then, sparks would fly from their ends.

Obviously, Jubilife TV was still recovering from the devastating attack it'd been hit with last night. Not knowing what else to do, Ash slumped back in the couch, letting memories drift into his head like snow flurries.

Involuntarily, his mind drifted into the past, to a time he'd much rather forget. Almost instantly, hot tears welled in his eyes and the emotional dam that he'd carefully constructed years ago cracked open, just a tiny bit. Pain wracked his head, and he clenched his fists until his fingernails broke skin and blood dripped down his palms. He choked on his throat, and wiped the tears from his eyes, instantly reburying a memory he'd locked away deep inside him long ago.

He steadied his breathing and opened his eyes. Glancing down at his hands, he cursed silently at the sticky blood that now stained his palms. Just in front of him, Pikachu looked up at him, groaning lamentingly. Ash wiped his eyes again and stood up, walking over to the kitchen to clean his hands. He kept his glazed gaze on the ground as he walked, and at the sink as he scrubbed the blood off his palms and out from under his fingernails.

He turned the water off and watched as the last of the red-tinged water flooded down into the drain. Exhaling, he turned around and trudged back out to the living room where Pikachu was waiting for him.

"Sorry buddy, I was just thinking—"

Suddenly, Ash froze, an icy chill sweeping up his body. His eyes widened and bit of Aura bled into his eyes automatically. Pikachu squeaked in alarm, but Ash ignored him and swept to the sofa, grabbing his belt of Pokémon.

Though he hadn't sensed it before, someone extremely powerful had entered the building. And now, they were standing right outside his door.

Ash tiptoed quietly towards the door, his eyes narrowed. Pikachu seemed to get the message and was now silent, creeping behind Ash with his ears sticking straight up, ready to attack the moment the door swung open. Every vein in his body throbbed with trepidation, and he cursed himself for not sensing this potent presence sooner.

They were a foot from the door when they heard a knock. Again, Ash froze. He'd not been expecting that, especially not a knock so light. He stood up from his knees and leaned forward to look through the peephole. He frowned and threw his belt over his shoulder, back into the living room. Then he opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

The subject of his apprehension was naught but a girl, no doubt the partner Cynthia had spoken of the night prior. She was slim, her skin, white, and her face...subtle. Her hair fell down her back and cascaded over her shoulders effortlessly, curling just slightly at the tips, suggesting a sense a play deep beneath her shy complexion. She wore a deep purple blouse and a thick cream yarn scarf that hid her neck effectively, though it looked entirely too sophisticated on her. The last thing Ash noticed was her eyes. Innocent enough, though striking, and dare he say, _intimidating_ when her gaze locked with his. Not quite analytical. Just curious. A crystal shade of magenta, or some shade of fuschia. It was difficult to tell.

The corners of her mouth tilted up into a smile. "Hi."

Ash examined her up and down. This was what he'd been afraid of? A girl an entire head shorter than him who looked like she'd barely seen a day of sunshine in her life?

"Hey," he murmured. "You're, uh...you're the rookie?"

The girl frowned, blushing in embarrassment. "Rookie? I'm not a rookie."

Ash put two fingers on the bridge of his nose. "You're the girl who was sent here to help me, right?"

The girl's narrow eyebrows furrowed and she nodded meekly. "Yeah, the International Police sent me."

"Oh, they grabbed you right off the streets too, eh?"

The girl frowned, and shook her head. "N-No. They came to my gym."

That took a moment to process. This girl was a gym leader? Ash was pretty sure he'd met most of the gym leaders from Kanto to Kalos, befriended most of them, actually. And yet, he didn't recognize this girl… He studied her again, and his gaze fell upon her eyes. Easily a pair he'd instantly known he'd seen before, and yet the body encompassing them seemed foreign to his memory. How could he recognize her and not recognize her at the same time? The girl seemed to realize what Ash was doing, and spoke up to jog his memory.

"I'm the gym leader of Saffron City."

 _What?_

"Sabrina."

Sabrina smiled, her cheeks glowing. "You remember me."

Ash nodded slowly, still concerned with the volume of power radiating from her. "I'm surprised you remember me."

"I didn't, until they reminded me."

For some reason, that hurt more than Ash cared to admit. He liked to think he left a memorable first impression on most people. "So, International sent you...to help me," he said, continuing as if the comment hadn't bothered him as much as it did.

"Well, yeah," Sabrina said carefully. "I hope I'll be able to be of some help, at least."

"Just out of curiousity," Ash said, not lowering his guard an instant. "Do you know why International sent you here? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great to see you again. It's just seems weird that they'd send two of us when I could probably get the job done by myself."

Sabrina's cheeks turned rose-red, and her eyebrows furrowed in hurt. "T-They said that you shouldn't have to do everything by yourself. That you'd probably want a partner."

Ash sucked in an uneasy breath between his teeth. "I mean…"

Her face turned even darker, and she clenched her fists in front of her. "I can help. I'm stronger than you think. Way stronger than I was back when we first met."

Ash put his hands up defensively. "I don't doubt it. I'd actually be really concerned if you hadn't gotten stronger at all over the course of nine years." He rubbed his face and turned back to her. "Look, Sabrina. What we're dealing with here...forgive me for saying it, but I don't think is quite the job for you. And it's nothing personal against you, I just think it's out of the depths of any gym leader. I'm sure you got the report. These are the six most dangerous men to turn up in the last decade. They've quarreled with the likes of legends."

"I don't remember you being all that great either," Sabrina replied bluntly. "And yet here you are."

"I've changed."

"And I haven't?"

No matter how hard he looked at her, Ash couldn't recall a clear picture of Sabrina looked like nine years ago. There was simply no semblance between the girl he'd met and the girl standing in front of him. All he could remember of her past self was that she tended to keep herself in the shadows a lot. And of course, he remembered her turning he and his friends into living human dolls. But despite the fact that she'd obviously matured from a child to a woman in the time they hadn't seen each other, there was something about her that made him reluctant to want her on this mission with him.

As he studied her, Sabrina's smoky gaze never left Ash's, but he forced himself to look away. Her eyes were too much. From his downward sight, he noticed her reaching behind her body. When her hand returned to his view, there was something clasped in it. A master ball.

"I came prepared."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You have a legendary in there or something like that?"

"Something like that."

"What's in it?"

Sabrina scoffed and clipped it back to the back of her belt. "Maybe you'll get to see her later...if you can stand the burden of me being here."

Again, that last comment struck a nerve Ash hadn't expected it to. "Oh c'mon, no need to get passive aggressive," Ash retorted. "I was just asking. You're starting to make me think you're a little on the sensitive side. Not a good trait to have on a mission like this."

"You're really going to talk to me about compromised emotions?" Sabrina shot back. "You think I have a weak mind. I'm a psychic, Ash." She was glaring at him now. "This psychological game you think I don't know you're playing, trying to make me angry so I'll lash out and give you a solid reason to tell me off...it's not working. I already told you. I'm not here to prove anything to you."

Ash glowered down at the Saffron gym leader. _How could she know?!_ "What did you say about compromised emotions?"

"I won't say it aloud because I know you wouldn't want me to," Sabrina murmured, despite Ash's sudden aggression. "But I sensed your pain the moment I stepped foot in this building. So don't go playing the tough guy on me, Ash. It won't work."

Ash shut his eyes and covered them with his hand, leaning forward in grief as he did. He remained that way for several seconds before standing up straight and letting his hand fall to his side. "Look, Sabrina. What I was saying...I didn't say it to hurt you or turn you away. It's just...I got a lot on my plate right now. My mental plate, that is."

He looked up at her, and she stared back at him with a renewed interest. Ash hadn't expected introductions to go like this. He'd be lying if he said a part of him didn't want her gone. A part of him wanted her to walk away and never come back. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't turn her away. Despite her pencil-like frame and her timid front, there was a certain strength to her, a strength that had nothing to do with her status as a gym leader or as a human psychic. And then there was that 'compromised emotions' comment that she'd made. Somehow, someway, she knew about his darkness…

"C'mon in," Ash said, and without waiting to see if she would follow, he left the door frame and strode inside. Sabrina stared as he left, and with caution, she took a step in after him.

By the time he was back in her view, Ash was already sprawled across the couch, facing away from her. Not knowing where she should sit, she elected to stand. Pikachu peeked warily out from the kitchen where he'd scampered once Ash and Sabrina's conversation had begun.

"So, you can read my mind," Ash said, not turning to face her.

Sabrina shifted on her feet, instinctively rubbing two large, jet-black bracelets on each of her wrists. As she rubbed them, a faint green light followed her fingertips across the bracelets as they moved. "No."

"Then how did you know about my 'compromised emotions?'" he asked, throwing up sarcastic air quotes.

"I can sense your emotion," Sabrina replied, ignoring his accusatory tone. "As easily as you can feel hot and cold, I can feel how taxed your soul is. But I can't tell what you're thinking...unless I tried to."

At that, Ash spun around to face her, scowling fiercely. "And?"

"I didn't read your mind, Ash, and I'm not going to!" Sabrina said in exasperation. "But it doesn't take a psychic to know that there's clearly something big on your mind that's weighing you down." She exhaled and fixed an expectant gaze on him. In response, he looked away.

"I don't want to talk about it. And you sure as hell better not psychic it out of me."

"I won't."

Ash remained silent in contemplation for a while, before suddenly looking back up at Sabrina. "So what can you _do_ as a human psychic?"

"You're changing the subject."

"I am."

Sabrina sighed and walked in front of Ash, peering at him expectantly. He averted his eyes, electing to glare at the coffee table next to him. Sabrina waited for him to acknowledge her, but when it became obvious he had no such intention, she sat down.

"We should get going," she said.

Ash frowned, finally looking at her. "Excuse me?"

"I said, we should get going," she repeated. "Cynthia told me to pick you up and head down to International building in town. She wants us to be there for Archie's interrogation."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Ash huffed loudly, muttering under his breath. He stood up and walked to his bag, pulling on a pair of socks. Then he went back to the door to get his shoes on. Sabrina watched in silence as he walked around the room, only following him with her eyes. After clipping on his belt, Ash exhaled loudly once more, Pikachu mimicking his actions from his shoulder, before turning to Sabrina.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

The taxi ride was entirely uneventful. Both Ash and Sabrina sat in the back, albeit on either sides of the middle seat where Pikachu lay curled up in boredom. Neither spoke a word to one another, though Sabrina would occasionally look up from the window and turn towards Ash as if wanting to start a conversation. She never did, and Ash continued to stare out the window like he didn't notice Sabrina looking over at him every few minutes.

The building lie on the northwest outskirts of the city. The entire facility and the tract of concrete in front of it was gated off, with guard towers in every corner and armored soldiers and their Pokémon patrolling the grounds in rows. Because of the security, the taxi let them out just outside the gates. As it drove off, Ash and Sabrina walked up to the gate, both still silent. The guard immediately let them in without a word, clearly having gotten orders to do so, probably from Cynthia herself.

The Sinnoh Champion was waiting for them in front of the building across the concrete. She raised a brow upon seeing Sabrina, and beamed at the younger woman. Sabrina returned a shy smile, as most people did when meeting the gorgeous Champion for the first time.

"Well, it looks like you two found each other all right," Cynthia said, upon their arrival.

Ash grunted, and Sabrina seemed to still be shellshocked, which resulted in quite an awkward few seconds of silence. Cynthia smiled amusingly between the two.

"Ash, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" she giggled.

Ash shrugged nonchalantly, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here. "That's Sabrina, the gym leader in Saffron City."

"Ah, so you're from Kanto as well, then," Cynthia nodded. "And you should find yourself right at home again in a big city like Jubilife!"

"It's not too bad," Sabrina murmured, staring at the ground and playing with her bracelets.

Cynthia offered a supportive smile, but neither Ash nor Sabrina seemed interested in small talk. So without another word, she chuckled and motioned for them to follow her inside.

The lobby was typical of most government facilities Ash had seen in movies; high ceiling, balconies that circled the circumference of the room, people walking every which way, and of course, an enormous mural of some hero fighting an ancient beast painted onto the far wall. Cynthia sped past all of it, giving Ash and Sabrina no time to admire their surroundings. Instead, she ushered them straight down a side hallway, where they came across an elevator. Cynthia pressed her thumb onto a biometric scanner, and the elevator doors pinged open instantly. Once inside, Cynthia clicked the appropriate button, the doors slid shut, and they were on their way down.

The elevator started to get darker the further they descended, and about halfway down, Cynthia spoke up again.

"I'm sure you two are wondering why I wanted you back here." When she got no response, she continued. "It's not just that I want you to watch Archie's interrogation. I wanted to let you read over the official statement International will be releasing to the public. As of right now, all the general public knows is that Jubilife TV was hijacked by Archie, and that an unnamed vigilante took out his two Flygon patrols, broke into the studio through the window, and rescued the hostages before defeating Archie in battle."

Sabrina eyes lit up. "You did all that, Ash?"

"It was no biggie," the Aura Guardian muttered.

"They don't know about your Aura Guardian status, or that Archie was only one of several escaped convicts loose in Sinnoh. He alluded to it in his little speech, but no one seems to have connected the dots quite yet. We've also taken down all footage of the battle people have posted online, so as to preserve your anonymity, Ash."

"What's wrong with the people seeing my face?" Ash asked.

"It's better off if we keep you hidden for the time being. You and Sabrina are our secret weapons, and you wouldn't be very much of a secret if you ended up on the nightly news. We don't want to give our enemies anything of use, even if it's just your face. If they were able to cross-reference your face with one of your pictures from, say, league conferences in years past, then they'd have a hold of your identity, which, in turn, would give them access to your family. And that is something we certainly can't have."

Ash squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them. "I understand."

"The point is, we want to keep you off their radar for as long as possible. Obviously, your anonymity will be impossible to protect forever, if you're going to be going toe to toe with them, but as long as they don't know about you, we may have a significant advantage in taking them by surprise."

At that moment, the elevator came to a stop. When the doors opened, they greeted with more hallways, except these hallways were much smaller and darker. But they weren't there for the decor. Cynthia led them down one of the hallways, before stopping abruptly at an iron door labelled, 'Observation Deck.' Again, Cynthia scanned her thumb on a biometric scanner above the handle. The lock mechanisms clicked, and she pulled the door open, motioning for Ash and Sabrina to enter first. After ascended a very short flight of steps, they found themselves in a small rectangular room, a large window in place of the entire right wall. The room had several rows of chairs in it, positioned so that they were facing the window. Various officials were already seated, and Ash and Sabrina decided to take the two closest seats. Cynthia followed in behind them.

"About time, Champion Cynthia," one of the officials said. "And I see you have our young assets with you. Excellent."

"Thank you for waiting for us. Are we ready?" Cynthia asked, taking a seat behind Ash and Sabrina.

"The detainee is already in place, as you can see," the official responded, motioning towards the window.

Narrowing their eyes, Ash and Sabrina both looked into the window to see what the official was talking about. There, seated below them in a dark interrogation room lit only by a single lamp hanging from the middle of the ceiling, was Archie. He sat cuffed to an iron table, but was nevertheless waving up at the window, grinning as he did. He'd been stripped of his own attire, and was now dressed in a plain dark gray shirt and pants. He wore no shoes. Although he couldn't see who was waving to, due to the nature of the one-way glass, he continued his obnoxious act, regardless.

"Good," Cynthia replied. "Send in our interrogator."

At her request, the door to the interrogation room opened below, and a woman with a tablet walked in. The moment she appeared, Archie stopped waving at the window and turned to face his new company, an exaggerated smile plastering her face.

"Welcome, ma'am. Please, have a seat, and make yourself comfortable" Archie said, motioning to the seat across from him as best he could with his handcuffs on. The interrogator glanced at him, and took the seat, pulling up something on her tablet.

"Archie Aogiri," the interrogator began, her voice coming into the observation deck via small speakers mounted to the ceiling.

"That's me!"

"Tell me why you attacked Jubilife TV last night."

Archie feigned hurt. "You didn't see my segment?"

"I saw it," the interrogator confirmed. "But I'd like you to tell me what you meant by it."

Archie leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the corner of the table. The interrogator wrinkled her nose at the sight, and no doubt awful smell of his feet in her face.

"Hmm, should I tell you, or should I not?" Archie mused. Suddenly, he straightened up in his seat, swiveling his feet back under the table. "Wait a second! I don't have to talk to you. I want a lawyer." He grinned in the interrogator's face, baring his stained teeth.

The interrogator sighed. "That's not how it works, Mr. Aogiri. You're not the suspect of a crime, you've already been convicted of one."

"What!" Archie said in mock surprise. "What crime did I commit?"

"Assault, home invasion, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, destruction of property, blackmail, cruelty to pokémon, and attempted genocide."

Archie raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that's a lot. Almost makes me seem like a bad guy, doesn't it."

"And that's doesn't even count the events of last night," she continued. "So I'll ask you again to tell me what you were talking about in your broadcast."

Archie stroked his beard, as if thinking carefully about the interrogator's question. "Why don't you tell me why I should help you. I mean, c'mon lady, look at the situation I'm in. I got out of a supermax and I busted into the local news network. I doubt there's any sort of leniency you can offer me if I decide to cooperate. And if there's nothing in it for me, well…"

The interrogator seemed stunned by Archie's sudden seriousness, but she quickly recomposed herself. "Why don't we switch gears? How about you tell me how you got out of a maximum security prison."

Archie stared at her, a taunting grin creeping onto his face. "I gotta tell you the truth, lady. I really don't know. It sorta just happened."

"You don't…know," the interrogator repeated, unconvinced.

Up in the observation deck, Sabrina furrowed her brows. "He's telling the truth."

"What?" Ash whispered, leaning closer so he could hear her.

"Archie's telling the truth about not knowing how he escaped the supermax," Sabrina replied.

Ash gawked at her. "What? How do you know? Did you read his mind?"

"No, no, I can just tell by his emotions. He's not nervous at all. His heart rate and body temperature haven't changed at all."

"Maybe he's just a good liar," Ash retorted. "I mean, c'mon. How can you not know how you broke out of prison? He obviously had to plan it out somehow."

"Not necessarily. The report said Archie and the rest were rescued by someone else. Maybe he didn't know who saved him, or that he was going to be saved at all."

"What are you two talking about?" Cynthia whispered, poking her head in between the two.

"Sabrina thinks Archie's telling the truth about not knowing how he broke out of prison," Ash whispered back.

"I don't think, I know!"

"We should get Sabrina in there and just get her to read his mind," Ash said. "She can do that."

Sabrina turned to scowl at Ash, clearly embarrassed, but Cynthia cut them both off before they could continue talking. "There's no need for that. We have Archie right where we want him."

"Do you?" Ash asked dubiously. "I mean, no offense, but it kinda looks like it's the other way around and Archie's the one roughing the interrogator up."

Cynthia grinned. "I'm glad you think so. That's exactly what we want Archie to think."

Ash and Sabrina both raised an impressed brow at that, and Cynthia giggled quietly at their response.

"When you have an arrogant man like Archie, it's very easy to get him to think he's the one in control, especially when the interrogator is a woman, and an unseasoned looking one at that. She's building a rapport with him, lulling him into a false sense of security and the illusion of domination. She'll continue building the rapport until Archie takes a direct move of control against her. That's when our interrogator can feign weakness, which should confirm Archie's illusion of control. And, theoretically, that's when he'll start spilling some beans."

"You guys really have this down to a science, don't you," Ash murmured, nevertheless impressed by International's plan.

"That's one of the reasons I wanted you two to watch this interrogation, in case you'll have to do some yourself on the road."

"Ahh, we won't need any complicated mind games," Ash smiled. "We have Sabrina."

The psychic blushed, and Cynthia shrugged. "Whatever works."

Back in the interrogation room, the interrogator didn't seem to have made any progress with Archie. He'd been able to dodge answering any of her questions, and he seemed to making her more and more uncomfortable.

"Where are the others who also escaped?" the interrogator asked.

"I don't know, but I sure hope they're doing something a little more upbeat than this, 'cause I'm dying of boredom, lady," Archie replied nonchalantly. "Say! You know what was pretty fun? That battle I had last night! That really got my blood pumping, warmed up an old sailor's heart, you know?"

His smile faded, and he turned to face the interrogator, staring her down with a cold gaze. "Who was that guy, huh?"

"There," Cynthia said, pointing to the scene below them. "There it is."

"There what is?" Sabrina questioned.

"Archie's direct move of control. And if the interrogator plays this right…"

"I can't tell you," the interrogator said.

"Oh, c'mon!" Archie exclaimed, throwing his hands out. The chains of the cuffs slammed against the metal table, 'startling' the interrogator, and she flinched. "Look at where I am, woman! Do you really think there's anyway I could contact my mates from where I am? Just tell me who he was! He told me we'd met before, but I don't remember him. You owe me at least his name before you throw me in a box for the rest of my life!"

"I'm sorry!" the interrogator said, raising her voice in an attempt to quell his. "That information is classified."

"Woman," Archie growled, leaning closer to her over the table. "The people I'm working with are very, very dangerous. The plans we have…whew! If you knew what we were working towards, I wouldn't be here in this room. No, you'd be tossing me out there, begging my friends for forgiveness! Sinnoh is going down! Jubilife was just the first! There's still Eterna, Hearthome…"

"What the…?" Sabrina muttered.

"What's up?" Ash asked.

"Look at that man," she whispered, pointing to one of the officials sitting in front of them.

Ash frowned. "What about him?"

"Does he look weird to you?"

"No," Ash said, now perturbed. "Why, what's up?"

"For some reason he's under—"

Without warning, the official in question stood up sharply. The men and women sitting around him glared at him for startling them by standing up so quickly.

"Nathanson, where are you going?" one of them asked.

Instead of responding, Nathanson lifted the right side of his suit jacket and pulled his gun from its holster. The first two shots shattered the glass. The next three peppered Archie's torso, sending him sprawling to the floor in a pool of his own blood. The final one entered Nathanson's own skull, and the gunman crumpled to the ground as well, having commit suicide. It was all over within seconds.

The other officials in the room screamed, along with the interrogator down below, who jumped back in shock. Cynthia's Roserade and Lucario had materialized beside her, and she was already barking orders to the various officials in the observation deck, as well as her X-Transceiver. Alarms shrieked through the rooms and hallways outside.

Ash's jaw had dropped, and he was frozen in his seat. Nothing he'd trained for had prepared him for this; seeing a murder being committed right before his very eyes. Before he could comprehend the chaos ensuing around him, he felt something yank at his sleeve, virtually pulling out of his chair.

"What the hell!" he gasped.

"Ash!" Sabrina yelled over the bedlam. Her eyes were alight, glowing the same shade as the lights on her bracelets.

"Sabrina!" he sputtered, slipping slightly on a bit of Nathanson's blood that had dripped next to him. "What…just, how?"

"I know where he is!"

Without waiting for an answer, Sabrina grabbed Ash hand, and they both disappeared in a flash of emerald light.

* * *

The glow in Malamar's sunken eyes died down, and Lysandre turned to it.

"Is it done?"

Malamar groaned in affirmation, sweat dripping down its slick form due to the effort it'd been exerting over Agent Nathanson's mind.

"Good work, Malamar. Return," Lysandre said, beaming the malevolent beast back into its ultra ball.

Next, he pulled out his personal Holo-Caster and dialed an encrypted number. The leader's holographic bust swiveled into view.

"Archie has been taken care of, madam," Lysandre informed.

"Excellent. Continue on with your mission, Elisio." And with that she hung up, and Lysandre pocketed the device.

Without another word or second glance, the former head of Team Flare straightened his jacket, turned, and walked further into the shadowed depths of Eterna Forest.

 **Next — Chapter 4 : Flight of the Kalos King**

* * *

 **Alright, first I think I should clear up some possible confusion about Sabrina. Like I said in the first chapter, Ash is 19. In this story, Sabrina is one year younger, at 18. This would make her nine when they first met and when they had their gym "battle." Although it seems absurd to have Sabrina at nine years old as a gym leader, remember that she had like a split soul, one of which was that of a child (you know, the one that wanted the dolls…). Also, if her personality, seems off, it's because I completely reworked her personality. Sabrina is, an essence, an OC, aside from her name, status as a gym leader and psychic, and her brief history with Ash. So forget everything you thought you knew about her.**

 **Secondly, the battle with Archie was kind of skimpy, so look forward to a full blown brawl with Lysandre. Other than that, as always, you can PM me if you have any questions or if you just wanna talk. I'll always respond within a few hours if I'm not busy.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 _ **Subject 666**_

* * *

 _ **(movesets are always subject to change)**_

 **ASH KETCHUM**

 **Pikachu - Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, Electric Terrain**

 **Charizard - Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Wing Attack, Slash, Dragon Tail, Blast Burn**

 **SABRINA NATSUME**


	4. Flight of the Kalos King

**_thor94_ \- Yes, Sabrina's personality is completely different from her game and anime counterparts.**

 ** _Guest_ \- There is no canon royal family of Rota, and I haven't really developed the politics of Rota, but for now, no he's not part of Rota's royal family.**

* * *

 **The Sinnoh Crisis**

 **Chapter 4**

 **—Flight of the Kalos King—**

* * *

"Faster, Pyroar, faster!" Lysandre urged. The fiery haired man rode atop his fiery haired lion, and together the two raced through the labyrinthine forest. Pencil thin tree trunks whipped past in an instant, the panorama in front of them identical all around. Despite the warnings at the lip of the forest, Lysandre knew those cautions weren't meant for him.

Wild pokémon fled at the sight of his ferocious Pyroar, and he definitely wasn't in danger of getting lost. He was no novice trainer. In fact, he wouldn't even consider himself a veteran. He'd started battling at an extremely young age. No, he was what the children called a pokémon master, the fabled title very few ever achieved. Unlike most other adept trainers, Lysandre understood what it meant to be a pokémon master, and one could never become what they didn't understand. He was a man of vision, unlike the muscle his Malamar had just dispatched. He had mastered every aspect of what it meant to be a pokémon trainer.

And it was because of that fact that when two figures appeared out of thin air right in front of Pyroar, he was able to stop his pokémon in the instant he saw the viridian flash.

Pyroar's monstrous paws skidded to a stop, and the beast growled menacingly at the sudden arrivals. Lysandre narrowed his eyes and unclipped Pyroar's ultra ball, beaming the lion back. When his mount disappeared beneath him, Lysandre dropped to the ground, landing deftly on a knee and a palm. Rising to his full height, Lysandre dwarfed his two adversaries, darkening the shadow already cast on them by the thick canopy of Eterna Forest.

"Lysandre," Ash spat.

"Ash Ketchum and Sabrina Natsume," Lysandre said bluntly.

Sabrina bristled at the mention of her name. She withdrew a pokéball from her belt and enlarged, looking ready to toss it straight at Lysandre's chest.

"I assume you two are here to stop me. Natsume, a gym leader, and Ketchum…you must be the Aura Guardian that defeated Archie."

"You connect the dots quickly," Ash said. "Maybe next you'll deduce that there's two of us and only one of you, even though I could still defeat you on my own."

"I don't recall this strength the last time we fought," Lysandre said. "And you seem to be implying that Natsume doesn't also have the strength to defeat me alone."

Despite his confidence that he could easily put Lysandre down, there was something chilling about the Flare boss' analysis of his every word. The words he spoke had experience to back them up. He wasn't bluffing any strength or season.

"While you've been rotting in a cell for the better part of the decade, mine and my pokémon's power have multiplied. You don't stand a chance," Ash warned. "Turn yourself in."

"For what? I haven't even done anything yet," Lysandre challenged.

"The murder of an International agent," Sabrina piped up.

Lysandre raised a crimson eyebrow. "My, my. Your psychic powers and foresight are formidable, Sabrina Natsume. Do tell us how you came to that conclusion. I don't think Ketchum is on the same page as you and I."

Ash grit his teeth, despite how hard he tried to hide his ignorance. Sabrina also glared down the Flare boss, but revealed what she knew anyway.

"I noticed he had tinges of psychic energy in his mind, but that's not super uncommon since some people use psychic moves to help them fall asleep and such. It was later into the interrogation that the energy started to intensify, as if something was actively exerting control over him. But by then—"

"It was too late," Lysandre finished. He smiled and unhooked a new ultra ball from his belt. "It's been a pleasure making your acquaintances, but I have a job to do, and I really can't be stalled here."

The moment his last word left his lips, he hurled his ultra ball at the ground, and it burst open. The shadows around Ash and Sabrina further thickened as Lysandre's pokémon rose to its full height. The Goodra, at least double Lysandre's own height roared upon its arrival, and wasted no time in firing off a blistering Flamethrower at point blank range.

Ash barely had time to erect a barrier before the torrent of hell smashed into it, splitting around it like a rock in a river. The grass beneath Ash's feet disintegrated, and sweat instantly started to stream down his face from the scalding heat of the attack. To make matters worse, due to the immense berth of the attack, Pikachu was trapped on Ash's shoulder, useless.

"Sabrina!" Ash bit out, but the psychic gym leader was already on the move. Her bracelets were now spinning furiously around her wrists and jade energy cloaked her hands. Slicing the air in front of her with both arms, the trunks of the two towering trees on either side of Goodra suddenly buckled like a great gust of wind had just hit them. Both trees tipped inward towards Goodra, severed at the base. But the fiendish dragon would not be deterred so easily. As each trunk came crashing down, Goodra bunched up the muscles in its head-tails and braced the trunks, one on each head-tail. Roaring savagely, Goodra flexed its appendages, and the trunks both fell to the side with a thunderous crash.

Capitalizing on Goodra's moment of weakness, Ash pulled a pokéball from his belt. "Lucario, Ice Punch!" Ash roared, deploying its pokéball as he ran towards Lysandre. The jackal poured onto the ground beside its master already in a sprint, swirling frost cloaking its spiked fist.

Sabrina's Venomoth materialized beside her and fired off an angry storm of Poison Powder at her command, which instantly turned the grass between it and Goodra a wilted brown. However, Lysandre was not one to stand idly while his pokémon was under assault, so in response, he threw out another ultra ball. A behemoth Nidoking materialized before Venomoth's Poison Powder, absorbing the brunt of the substance.

"Flamethrower again!" Lysandre snarled. Another stream of fire spewed from Goodra's maw, and Lucario was forced to divert from Ash's side to dodge. Aura curled around Ash's fist as he pulled back his punch.

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance to come quietly!" Ash growled as he executed his cross punch. The punch was inches from Lysandre's jaw when his arm was suddenly knocked away. Ash gasped as he stumbled from his own momentum. As he regained his balance, he noticed Lysandre's outstretched arm.

What?! How could he have blocked that punch so easily? That should have shattered his arm!

"Still underestimate me, boy?" Lysandre sneered. The ripple of Goodra's Flamethrower on his face and hair made him look like the devil, with his sinister glare and dark suit.

In front of him, Lucario had successfully dodged Goodra's onslaught, however a path of charred tree trunks and grass followed in his wake. Ash looked to his right and saw that Sabrina and Venomoth had already engaged Nidoking, and the monstrous poison-type was fending them off on its own. So Ash wasted no time in doubling down on Goodra as well.

"Low Kick!" Ash bit out, before launching into another sprint towards his foe. "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

"Sludge Wave!" Lysandre commanded, leaping onto his fierce dragon's back and climbing onto its shoulder, grinning savagely.

Goodra, unhindered by his master, sucked in a breath before blasting sour green poison all around it. The noxious liquid flooded the ground, pouring past Goodra and Nidoking. Sabrina, upon seeing the acid, enveloped her body in psychic energy and levitated into the air, placing herself on an outstretched tree branch. Turning to Ash, she gasped, seeing as the poison had already sped past Lucario, and was closing in on Ash himself.

Ash and Pikachu were forced to cease their charges and the Aura Guardian quickly summoned a bubble shield around he and his companion. The acid splashed up against the shield and trailed around it, but did not penetrate it.

As Sabrina continued her offensive on Nidoking from the treetops, Lucario, unaffected by the poison due to his ironlike skin, continued on his sprint towards Goodra, acid splashing up his body with every step. But as he slid down for a Low Kick, Lysandre suddenly leaped off Goodra's back and stomped down onto Lucario, slamming the jackal onto the poisoned ground . Lucario screeched in pain, but he couldn't keep his mouth open long, lest the poison trickle into it. Lysandre completed his maneuver by propelling off Lucario's body and onto a higher, moss-covered ridge.

"Your friends have paid for the mistake of you underestimating me," Lysandre spat, as Venomoth careened backwards into a tree from one of Nidoking's lethal Stone Edges. "This childish squabble has gone on long enough."

Deploying another pokémon, Lysandre grabbed hold of Honchkrow's dark feathers and pulled himself onto its back. "Hyper Beam, all of you!"

Honchkrow's gullet burned with power as it charged the formidable attack, however it wasn't the only one. Goodra and Nidoking also began gathering strength in their stomachs, sucking in enormous breaths of air.

"Lucario, to me!" Ash said, dispelling his shield now that most of the poison had done its destruction on the ground. Lucario leapt off the ground, his back plastered with sticky poison, and Ash returned him. Pikachu scampered back on Ash's shoulder, already knowing what his master had in mind.

"Sabrina!" Ash called just as she was about to fire enough another bone-crunching Psychic.

The gym leader turned from her tree branch perch, her eyes smoldering green.

"Run!" He yelled, doing exactly that, turning and sprinting further into the forest, away from Lysandre's beasts. Sabrina faltered for a second, glancing back at the wasted form of her Venomoth slumped against a tree.

"Run!" Ash yelled again, and this time she did, beaming her partner back and teleporting beside Ash, floating forward in pace with him. They moved between gnarled trees and stony outcroppings to sound of Lysandre's echoing laughter all around them.

"Duck!" Ash bellowed, grabbing Sabrina and pulling her to the ground behind a large rock. Not a moment later, three blistering shafts of destruction swept over their heads, cleaving trees from their stumps, shattering rock like glass, and splintering foliage. Flames erupted all around them, and the screams of wild pokémon being roasted alive filled the air.

Ash looked up. It looked like Armageddon. Nothing escaped the conflagration. Flaming trees were still toppling to the ground, wild pokémon squawked in fear, and Ash had to duck again as a flurry of embers blew over his head, propelled by a great tree trunk hitting the ground. However, he'd seen enough. Eterna Forest was burning to the ground, and Lysandre and his pokémon were nowhere to be found.

"He's gone!" Ash shouted over the din of the pandemonium.

"We need to go after him!" Sabrina bit out, getting to her feet and brushing her clothes off.

"What about the pokémon?" Ash demanded, gripping another pokéball.

Sabrina cursed silently. "You take care of the pokémon, I'll go after him!"

Ash fixed her with a frustrated gaze. "It's too dangerous!"

"I can handle him," Sabrina reassured him. "I promise."

Ash glared at her, clenching his fists in frustration. "Fine," he said. "Now, go!"

Sabrina nodded and rose into the air. The last thing she saw before bulleting deeper into the forest was a Greninja spraying jets of water into the roaring inferno.

* * *

Though the thick canopy of Eterna Forest had sheltered him from it before, the rain was relentless as it dumped down on him. Lightning flashed above Eterna City, illuminating the newcomer's face for a moment, before the gloom settled back atop everything like silt at the bottom of a pond.

Lysandre stared at the Galactic Eterna Building in front of him. It was in a horrible state of disrepair. The flamboyant blue and yellow paints which had once decorated the building now looked drab and sullen, as if they'd been rained on countless times. In places, the paint had entirely peeled away, revealing rust-crusted metal beneath. But that wasn't even the worst of it. Vegetation had completely overtaken the sides of the building. Stalks of invasive flora seemed to sprout from every crack and broken window of the facility. All and all, the building had not been touched since Team Galactic's downfall years ago.

Inhaling the scent of rain-stained concrete and roadside mildew, Lysandre pointed at the dilapidated, boarded up doors of the Galactic building.

"Feint Attack."

It was as if Honchkrow had never left his side. Without warning, the doors in front of them splintered and snapped, shards of rotten wood splashing to the ground. A faint dark aura trailed from the shattered entrance to Honchkrow's passive form; the only evidence of its attack, but even that faded away in the rain within a matter of moments.

Recalling Honchkrow, Lysandre stepped into the damp ruins of the former Galactic facility. The floors were covered in dust and pocketed with tiny rattata footprints. He could hear hordes of them scurrying above and below him, and it didn't take a psychic to sense the presence of an entire colony of zubat slumbering on the ceiling above.

The former Flare boss wasted no time to bypassing the front desk and the numerous flights of stairs that led to the floors above, instead crossing the ground floor to an inconspicuous door on the other side of the room. It looked to be nothing more than a back storage room, and indeed it was. There seemed to be nothing inside besides stacks and stacks of dusty boxes and broken appliances. Lysandre was here for none such junk.

He deployed Nidoking into the nigh pitch black room. "Earthquake."

The poison-type snorted, slamming a herculean fist to the ground. Cracks webbed out from the point of impact, and the entire building rumbled as the cracks began to widen into full blown fissures. Plaster and chunks of the floor showered down into the now revealed secret basement. Lysandre mounted Nidoking's back, and together they jumped into the pit.

The room was needlessly large. The boom of Nidoking's landing echoed through the empty chamber. Now Lysandre surveyed his surroundings. However it didn't take long to locate the only occupant of the basement besides Nidoking and himself. A lone black case sat sequestered off in the corner of the room. Lysandre dismounted his pokémon and walked over to the subject of his attention. The case was number locked, of course, and as Cyrus had informed him, the contents would be destroyed if he tried breaking in. But that was of no matter. Cyrus had the passcode. Lysandre grinned, picked up the case, and turned to depart.

"Going somewhere?"

Sabrina and her Mr. Mime had appeared behind them.

"You," Lysandre sneered, placing the case on the ground beside him.

"You won't escape this time, Lysandre," Sabrina said, emerald psychic energy crackling across her bracelets and wrists and illuminating her eyes.

"Is that so?" he mused. "And where's your friend Ketchum?"

"Preventing Eterna Forest from burning to the ground."

Lysandre raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Thank you for letting me know." Suddenly, his face contorted into a glare and he fingered the Saffron psychic. "Megahorn!"

Sabrina saw it coming a mile away. "Barrier!"

Mr. Mime pressed the air in front of it and a wall of energy burst into existence, and none too soon. Nidoking barreled forward, its fearsome horn glowing with potency, straight into Mr. Mime's defense. The impact caused the psychic-type to stagger back in surprise, but it redoubled its efforts to push the behemoth poison-type back. However, tenuous cracks began to web across the entire barrier, and Nidoking's physical prowess quickly began to give it the upper hand.

"Fine," Sabrina growled. "I won't mess around either." Her pupils vanished as psychic power flooded her entire body. Suddenly, a jade glow engulfed Nidoking and the monster pokémon hurled backwards—barely missing its master—and smashed into the far wall, cracking it.

Lysandre watched as his Nidoking staggered to its feet, before turning back to his foe. "I see," he intoned, his voice deep and dangerous. "The application of your powers in combat are no less formidable than they are outside of it. I conclude that you are an above average trainer with an incredible gift. However, if that gift were to somehow be nullified, you could be easily defeated."

Sabrina grit her teeth. "Not likely. Mr. Mime, Psychic Assault!"

A terrible radiance enveloped the psychic-type as wild psychic energy began to concentrate between its clownish palms.

"Stop it!" Lysandre snarled. "Rock Tomb!"

Nidoking roared and gigantic boulders started to materialize above its head. With a powerful fling of its arms, the rocks sailed towards its foe, however, before they could fall upon him, a potent squeeze of Sabrina's fists shattered the boulders, their rubble falling to the floor with tremendous cracks.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mime threw his arms outward, rising off the ground a bit. A brilliant nova exploded into existence around Mr. Mime, and both trainers shielded their eyes. It focused all of its arcane power on Nidoking, a blinding ray of light piercing through the air and blasting the Drill Pokémon. The poison-type screamed in agony and seized its own head as its body and mind alike were violently assaulted.

Mr. Mime continued to expel its pent up energy into Nidoking until the glow around it began to fade. Once it did, it floated back to the floor, breathing heavily. Nidoking, on the other hand, lie in a crater created by Mr. Mime's vicious onslaught. Unbelievably, it lifted its head, an armored arm covering its face. Once it was on its feet, its arm fell to the side. The entire top hemisphere of its head was blackened, burned from the inside out. Pure hatred emanated from its bloodshot eyes, and it roared in unrestrained fury, the terrible sound echoing through the chamber.

Lysandre glowered down at his enemy. "You'll pay for the harm you've inflicted on my partner. Poison Strike!"

Nidoking snarled, breaking into an enraged charge, poison oozing from every opening in its body with every stomp.

"Barrier!" Sabrina shrieked, this time enhancing Mr. Mime's shield with her own depthless powers. The barrier that erected in front of them brimmed with potency, the very air around it distorting from its reinforced reality.

Sabrina gasped as Nidoking careened into the shield. However, neither she, nor Mr. Mime felt any impact. Instead, Nidoking simply vanished into a puff of energy.

"What…?" Sabrina mumbled.

Suddenly, Nidoking seemed to materialize right beside Mr. Mime, and before the psychic-type could react, Nidoking's poison drenched fist slammed into it, sending it barreling into the wall, virtually smashing through it. The prone psychic-type slumped to the ground, an unconscious groan escaping its bloodied mouth.

"Substitute!" Sabrina breathed, eyes wide in shock.

But Nidoking didn't stop there. The monstrous poison-type turned to Sabrina, and she barely had enough time to coat herself in a protective shield before she too crashed into the wall next to Mr. Mime. Her shield shattered instantly and she stood, eyes searing, hands engulfed in psychic energy.

She screamed, the Psychic that befell Nidoking powerful enough to cause every orifice on its face to spurt blood as it too roared. The air around Nidoking twisted and tore, sparks flying as reality was literally obliterated. The hellish poison-type gave one last hoarse bellow before it fell to its knees, its mind cooked to a crisp. When it finally tipped and slumped to the ground, the ground beneath it cracked.

Lysandre twitched, unable to believe what he'd just witnessed. The caliber of the psychic's attack had nearly killed one of his strongest pokémon. It was unacceptable. Shaking, he withdrew Nidoking's ultra ball and beamed the creature back. Then he rounded on Sabrina as she recalled her fallen companion.

"You…," he growled. "You're a freak."

"I've been called worse," Sabrina spat, switching Mr. Mime's pokéball for another.

"You will never defeat me," Lysandre rumbled. "I see now that it was I who underestimated you, Sabrina Natsume. I've realized that there is no reason to hold back any longer."

Without taking his baleful glare off her, Lysandre released his next pokémon: Malamar and Goodra.

Sneering, Sabrina pulled another pokéball from her belt and deployed her chosen. Venomoth burst into the air and a titanic Snorlax crashed onto the ground.

"Now, taste the true power of a real Pokémon Master! Malamar, Black Hole Eclipse! Goodra, Devastating Drake!" Lysandre said, throwing up his sleeve to reveal a device that looked suspiciously like a mega ring, and slamming his palm onto it. Instantly, effulgent light exploded from the ring and poured into the two pokémon, who both groaned as power flooded their beings.

Malamar's sunken eyes narrowed as a sphere of utter darkness began to gather between its outstretched fins. The sphere seemed to feed on the shadows in the room, and the temperature seemed to plummet.

A bead of sweat dripped down Sabrina's neck Shit! Just what the hell is that? Quickly deciding she'd need to go on the offensive to shut down Malamar and Goodra, she called out her attacks. "Venomoth, Silver Wind! Snorlax, Giga Impact!"

Venomoth flapped its silken wing and an argent blizzard swirled into formation, whipping towards the hypnotic dark-type with terrifying accuracy. At the same time, a harrowing light engulfed Snorlax, and the somnolent bear pokémon began its stampede towards Goodra

Goodra roared, an inferno of dragonfire erupting around it. The entire chamber filled with a blinding light as more and more power continued to fuel the crackling supernova. When the energy reached apex of its power, Goodra released it all. The blistering form of a dragon took shape and tore through the air like an infernal bullet.

Snorlax smashed into the maelstrom, however the energy quickly overwhelmed him, lashing the corpulent normal-type with its potent energy. Snorlax howled as the dragonfire scorched its thick skin. Unbelievably, the Devastating Drake reversed its velocity, sending it careening into the wall behind it. The entire wall fractured at once, and sheets of plaster and cement crumbled to the ground.

Simultaneously, Malamar discharged its void ball, which flew through the Silver Wind and crashed into Venomoth, enveloping the poisonous moth in a roiling sphere of pitch black shadow. From within the inky prison, Venomoth's muffled cries could be heard, but they were swiftly silenced by the explosion of the sphere. Black matter blasted outward, and Venomoth tumbled to the ground, covered in blackened smudges that looked like horrible bruises.

A protracted silence dominated as Lysandre reveled in his handiwork and Sabrina prayed her pokémon would rise from their devastation. However, when they never did, Sabrina closed her eyes sullenly and recalled her unconscious partners.

"I guess we both underestimated each other," she said, calmly turning towards her enemy. "I watched your battle with Ash in Lumiose City on TV all those years ago. I didn't think you'd be able to dish out such heavy hits."

Lysandre smiled evilly. "I fail to see how your misjudgment changes anything. Your pokémon are weak, and the strength of your own psychic attacks are clearly based on the unreliability of your emotions." He held out his arm, offering peace. "I will not harm you or your pokémon further if you step aside and allow me to withdraw."

Without saying a word, Sabrina raised one of her bracelets to her chest. "Lift mindlock restraints, level one." Her bracelets clicked and began to spin furiously, the emerald energy crackling on their surfaces morphing into a deep purple. "Power level . . . mass destruction."

Lysandre scowled and took a impulsive, nervous step back. "What're you—"

An incorporeal scream blasted through the chamber as a blinding glare engulfed Sabrina. She rose off the ground, her hair whipping behind her, as her skin literally started to crack apart, violet light seeping out between the fractures. A black hole seemed to open around Sabrina; violet matter of all shades swirled around her in a fury, ripping through all layers of reality and flaying her glowing form. Flakes of her body flew off into the terrifying tempest as she fought to keep her body intact.

Lysandre watched with rapt attention and increasing panic as the psychic underwent her aberrant transformation. However, it quickly became clear to him that he was no longer her only opponent, as she seemed to be fighting against herself to contain the horrendous volumes of power she'd just opened herself up to. And upon coming to this conclusion, Lysandre decided to act on this moment of vulnerability.

"Malamar, Night Slash! Goodra, Outrage! Kill her! Do not let her live!"

Both veteran pokémon blitzed forward, poised just feet from the unstable nova that enveloped Sabrina. However, the sudden threat seemed to have give the psychic an adrenaline shock, and for a moment, the maelstrom calmed, all of its volatile energies being siphoned through Sabrina's mind, as they should've. But a moment was all she needed. She raised both hands toward her assailants, and with that miniscule movement, came the force of a thousand tons.

They were suddenly stopped in their tracks and reversed, both crushed against their own momentum. Both pokémon hurled, vomit and blood alike spewing from their mouths, and within seconds, they'd both smashed and barreled through the concrete wall behind them. When they finally came to a stop, both slumped forward into a pool of their own putrid fluids.

Lysandre didn't even have the time to comprehend the outcome of the attacks before his attention whipped back towards Sabrina. Her blazing glare had just been set on the former Flare boss himself, the living storm around her also focusing on him like some sort of mischievous pet.

Sweat dripped down Lysandre's neck as he tore two more ultra balls from his belt. Hopefully he and his pokémon would be able to outlast the psychic and her devastating power. To do that, the answer was simple. He needed speed. If his pokémon could evade annihilation, it might buy him enough time for the maelstrom to overpower Sabrina's mind. That was his plan, at least.

"Pyroar! Mienshao! Wild Charge and Acrobatics! Don't let her lock on to you!" Lysandre roared as he released his next two pokémon.

As Lysandre beamed back his previous attackers, Pyroar and Mienshao both raced forward at mind-numbing speeds, hopping from left to right to avoid Sabrina's vicious assaults. The gym leader's eyes seared every time she fired off an attack, her Psychics holding enough potency to not only crush the stone floor to sand where her opponent's had been standing mere milliseconds ago, but to also degrade reality to such a state, that gravity itself ceased to exist, leaving crumbled stone particles floating just slightly above the ground.

Lysandre grinned as his pokémon closed in on the psychic. They're too fast for her, he thought giddily.

An electricity cloaked Pyroar and an airborne Mienshao careened towards Sabrina, mere inches separating the foes. But Sabrina would not be assaulted so easily. A wave of energy blasted out of her body in all directions, hurling both assailants back. Though the attack wasn't nearly as destructive as the ones that had taken out Malamar and Goodra, Pyroar and Mienshao both hit the ground with such a force that the floor beneath their tossed forms cracked.

"Shit!" Lysandre snapped. "Flamethrower and Aura Sphere!" he commanded, this time opting for ranged attacks. It seemed as though the psychic had almost gotten overwhelmed by Pyroar and Mienshao. And if that were the case, he didn't see her standing a chance against the rest of his roster. Internally, he smiled. Yes, this battle would be easy to wrap up.

Lysandre's pokémon staggered to their feet and wasted no time firing off their next attacks. A horrifyingly large stream of fire spewed from Pyroar's serrated maw, while five balls of energy materialized around Mienshao and launched toward Sabrina. However, even this volley was neutralized. A barrier of deep violet energy sprang up in front of Sabrina with a snap of her wrist. Sparks poured from her gauntlets, which were now spinning erratically in tune with the chaos storm around her. Unlike Mr. Mime's Barrier, this shield did not waver in the slightest against the might of Pyroar and Mienshao both. Instead, the shield actually seemed to absorb the attacks, gaining strength with each passing second.

Before Lysandre could give another directive, Sabrina suddenly swept her arm down, cleaving her shield in two. Then she slowly bunched both of her hands into fists, and the shield responded accordingly, collapsing into two blazing orbs of power, like miniature suns.

Lysandre's eyes widened. "Protect! Protect, both of you!" he shrieked, but everyone in the room, person and pokémon knew it was far too late.

Sabrina launched the orbs forward, one toward each of her enemies. Both simply closed their eyes in surrender as the attacks engulfed them, searing away their flesh and driving them into the ground. The two orbs passed over their fallen forms as if they hadn't obstructed its velocity at all, and collided with the far wall. A scream of release echoed through the entire chamber as the miniature suns exploded, obliterating the wall behind Lysandre and plunging the entire chamber into a landscape of burning white light.

Lysandre threw himself to the ground as chunks of concrete and gales of gravel blasted over him, showering him with rubble. Sharpened fragments of stone slashed at his clothes and exposed skin, sending blood oozing down his hands and back, and to make things worse, the inferno behind him seared his new injuries. His skin bled and bubbled, and Lysandre himself howled in agony.

After what seemed like entire minutes, the light faded away, and the true destruction was revealed. The far wall had vaporized, leaving a colossal, gaping, and blackened hole in its wake. Pyroar and Mienshao themselves lie in craters, a stream of congealed blood pouring from their mouths. All of Pyroar's fur had burned away, even its majestic mane, leaving its skin bright pink and terribly raw. Mienshao wasn't so lucky. Having no natural resistance to heat, its skin had been blackened completely. If Lysandre hadn't known any better, he wouldn't've even recognized the roasted form of his own pokémon.

Staggering to his feet, blood dripping down his face, he recalled his devastated partners, growing sick just looking at their mangled, barely breathing forms. Contrary to a few of his other cohorts, he actually cared for his pokémon, and it pained him greatly to see them in such a state of wreck. But their sacrifices were necessary, and he knew they knew that. So he would not ruin himself over their losses, nor lash out in an emotional fervor. Instead, he replaced their capsules and pulled another from his belt.

"Your barbaric displays of power are childish," Lysandre declared, his voice hoarse, clenching his ultra ball tightly.

Sabrina raised a brow at her opponent's speech, and the storm of power seemed to repress ever so slightly as Sabrina's mind switched from aggression to curiosity.

"You lack respect. And you lack conviction. You relied on the presence of your power to frighten me into surrender. But I've fought bigger beasts than you, and prevailed. Your overwhelming arrogance will be your downfall."

With that last word, Lysandre tossed his ultra ball on the ground, where it erupted into the towering form of a blood red Gyarados. Gyarados snorted at its opponent, its beady eyes glaring down at the psychic storm beneath it.

"I've had enough of your cursed birth gift! Let me show you what true strength looks like!" Lysandre snarled, raising his fist to reveal an inconspicuous mega ring on his finger Sabrina hadn't noticed before, and slamming his palm onto its surface.

Instantly, the ring turned a blinding white, immense power coalescing on it surface, bonding with Gyarados. The monstrous water serpent roared as its body started to glow a harsh light, its body fattening and expanding. The horns on its head and the whiskers beside its maw elongating, the fins on its back stretching into a fearsome spiked sail. With one final roar, the glow faded, and Mega Gyarados was revealed in all its terrible majesty. It had dwarfed Sabrina before, but now, the difference in size was laughable. With its rippling muscles and rows of serrated teeth, the notion of Sabrina defeating this monster as easily as she had Lysandre's other pokémon was inconceivable.

"Now, use Crunch, Gyarados!" Lysandre roared, grinning with mirth, and thrusting his arms forward as if controlling the monstrous sea serpent with his bare hands.

Mega Gyarados grunted, and closed the space between it and the psychic in an instant, its entire body going rigid as its gigantic maw opened to tear her in two. Sabrina reacted just as fast, pouring hundreds of waves of psychic energy into and onto the approaching titan, the unrelenting surges of power coursing through her enough to penetrate even the void within dark-types.

Lysandre's grin faltered as Sabrina's hold on his pokémon solidified. What? Not even Mega Gyarados can resist her powers?!

Mega Gyarados bellowed as a strained swing of Sabrina's arms sent it crashing towards the side wall. Rubble showered from the ceiling as Gyarados impacted the wall, however, thanks to its staggering bulk, it merely ruptured the wall, sending slabs of stone avalanching to the ground, instead of barreling through it.

Sabrina's breaths now came more ragged than ever, and the maelstrom around her growing more and more erratic as she tired. Mega Gyarados peeled itself from the wall, gravel dripping from the breaks in its armored plates, fury radiating from its murderous gaze.

Lysandre gawked at the vertical crater, but quickly regained his composure. "Incinerate!" he roared, pointing at Sabrina in the eye of her psychic storm.

The oceanic colossus wasted no time in sucking in a breath and blasting out a smoldering fireball, embers pouring off its surface as it shot through the air. Sabrina threw up her hands, her fatigue evident, as a deep purple barrier shimmered into existence in front of her. The Incinerate crashed into the barrier, forcing Sabrina to her knees as the barrier caught fire. With a burdened cry, her eyes flared and her shield wrapped itself around the conflagration. Flames roiled within the contained destruction, threatening to break loose. But before it could, with a labored shove, she shot the roiling firebomb back at Mega Gyarados.

Gyarados snorted in surprise as the psychic-imbued firebomb slammed into it, knocking its head off kilter. Scalding flames licked up its face, but when the flames died down and the smoke cleared, Gyarados looked only slightly worse for wear, and if anything, even more enraged. Sabrina on the other hand, looked ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"Finally come to the conclusion that you're not as invincible as you think you are?" Lysandre sneered. "Or do I need to show you why you'll lose?" Without waiting for a response, he reached a hand behind him and pulled a chrome red pokéball from the back of his belt.

"Mega Gyarados isn't my last. And this pokémon is better than even him." Replacing the cherish ball, Lysandre smirked. "Now, do you see that your efforts are, and have been futile?"

"I…will…defeat you," Sabrina wheezed, speaking for the first time since her transformation. She clenched her fists to reign in her storm of power once again as another bead of sweat dripped down her cheek. As she spoke, her voice seemed to echo across multiple layers of reality, and Lysandre scowled.

"You're powerful. But you're not strong," Lysandre retorted, glaring at the psychic. "Look at you. You're on the verge of collapse because you had to resort to recklessness just to defeat my weaker companions. But now that you've forced me down to my ace, you've already exhausted your immense volumes of power," Lysandre's face morphed into a sneer of insult. "What an amateur error. The remarkable degree to which you've misplayed your cards is insulting to an opponent of my caliber. In fact, I'm quite angry at myself for overestimating you to such a disgusting extent." The corners of his lips bent upward into a mocking smirk. "Now Gyarados, kindly finish her with Hyper Beam."

Mega Gyarados opened its fanged maw, a sphere of white energy coalescing in front of it. As the energy built and multiplied, blood seemed to leak into Mega Gyarados' eyes, its primal hatred fueling the attack. As the sphere grew, it began to turn darker and darker until it was pitch black. As it reached the peak of its power, Gyarados reared its head back and roared, firing off the attack, a shaft of pure darkness rocketing toward Sabrina.

Instantly, Sabrina's psychic maelstrom exploded, doubling in size. Sabrina screamed, as more cracks webbed and widened across her skin, radiant purple light streaming from the fractures. Psychic energy billowed around her as a minuscule orb of blinding power began to charge between her flickering palms. All of the power storming around her suddenly began to pour into the orb, until all of the psychic energy that had been around her now sat tightened between her hands. A second later, Sabrina released it all toward the Hyper Beam, a concentrated line of destruction.

It tore through the Hyper Beam like bread through butter, shredding the potent attack into nothing more than an elongated cloud of fading smoke. It continued on its warpath and connected with Mega Gyarados, dispelling all of its incredible power into the sea serpent's body. Gyarados roared, blood sloshing out from between the breaks in its armor, its eyes bloodshot and in immense agony. Smoke billowed from its bulging body as it gave one last shudder before toppling over and crashing to the ground in a lake of its own blood.

Likewise, the psychic storm around Sabrina evaporated, the cracks in her body sealed up, and the lights in her eyes vanished, and she too crumpled to the ground, a trickle of blood trailing from her mouth.

Lysandre stared at the carnage in awe. As his gaze flicked over to the fallen form of his opponent, he grinned and recalled his monstrous pokémon, seemingly not caring about the gigantic pool of blood it'd left behind.

"Hah! Finally, you fall Sabrina Natsume!" Lysandre boomed, peering across the room at her barely conscious form. "I think I'll take my leave now," he said, picking up his case, which had skittered off to the side during the battle. He pulled Honchkrow's ultra ball from his belt and deployed the night bird.

Sabrina's eyes dilated as she extended an arm across the shattered ground, a pokéball clutched in it. Her fingers shaking, she clicked the release.

Alakazam shimmered into existence above the ground, its wispy hairs wavering in the wind of its own psychic potency.

Lysandre smiled. "So, you still have some fight left? I guess I will get to have one last bit of fun." Climbing onto Honchkrow's back, he unclipped the cherish ball and tossed it onto the ground beside him.

Instantly, the temperature skyrocketed. A gargantuan body emptied into the chamber, the top of its terrifying body grazing the ceiling. Four craters were instantly smashed into the floor where its four massive feet hit the ground. Boiling steam billowed from its body, and a low guttural growl emanated from its fiery throat.

Volcanion unfurled its titanic cannons and aimed them both at Mega Alakazam, boiling water stockpiling within their depths. At the same time, the air around Alakazam distorted and wavered as it too charged up an attack.

Suddenly, a radiant azure meteor crashed into the chamber from the above, straight onto Volcanion's head. The steam mythic grunted in surprise as its head suddenly plummeted into the ground, its legs buckling under the impact, and all traces of an attack emptying out of its twin cannons uselessly as they too crashed to the side.

Ash completed his maneuver, slamming to the ground just in front of the collapsed Volcanion, Aura wafting off his body like mist from a tremendous waterfall. Alakazam ceased its attack as well, now that Ash was in the way. And from the other side of the chamber, Sabrina watched groggily, drifting in and out of unconsciousness.

Volcanion roared in anger and swung its cannons back to the forefront, facing them both at Ash. Flames roiled in their depths, and a fiery inferno also started to build within its gullet.

Ash leapt backward, increasing the distance between himself and the mythic. With a squeeze of his fist, a fount of Aura sprang up around him. The lightning crackling on Pikachu's cheeks quickly morphed from gold to sapphire as Ash's Aura siphoned into his being.

Three torrents of fire spewed from Volcanion's maw and cannons alike, merging together into one super column that billowed outward into a five pointed Fire Blast. The pentacle spun furiously through the air as it closed its target, black smoke trailing it.

Ash thrust his palms forward, and a gleaming shield of azure brilliance widened into existence in front of him. The Fire Blast fell upon him like a wet blanket, smothering his entire form, but nevertheless, the flames rolled to the side harmlessly. Once the attack faded, Ash dispelled his shield, sweat dripping down his face from the immense heat. The floor around him was burned black, and every small step he took cracked the decimated linoleum.

"Thunder," Ash commanded instantly, sending a surge of power to his partner.

Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulders, blue Aura dripping from his eyes. Black storm clouds swirled into view above Volcanion, and a second later, a loud crack reverberated through the chamber as an effulgent thunderbolt crashed down from the clouds onto Volcanion. The great fire-type roared as smoke rose from its electrocuted body. With an infuriated snarl, every opening in Volcanion's body began to glow a harsh light as an indescribable amount of power began to build within its body.

Ash siphoned some Aura into his vision, gauging Volcanion's next attack. When he saw what the mythic was doing, his eyes widened. Shit! It's using Explosion! Clearly the monstrous creature was hellbent on destroying his foes in whatever way possible, regardless of the physical trauma it'd cause itself. As Ash's came to that realization, he dashed forward, knowing he couldn't allow Volcanion to complete his attack.

As Volcanion started to raise its head, Ash's fists caught fire, the blue flames of Aura licking up his knuckles, and threw a lightning fast punch into the monstrous fire-type's head, knocking it to the side. Volcanion snorted in pain, but swung its head back around. However before it could do anything, Ash laid into it, punch after punch, each coming so quickly after one another that his arms were nothing more than azure blurs. Volcanion tried getting out a roar, but another punch silenced it. Flames and scalding water alike blasted from Volcanion's cannons aimlessly as the creature succumbed to agony, staggering back in an effort to escape the onslaught. When Ash's assault finally let up, a relenting cry escaped Volcanion's throat before its body went limp and it crashed to the ground, blood cascading down its mottled face.

In the silence that followed Volcanion's fall, Ash extinguished his Aura from around his hands and shook Volcanion's hot blood off as best he could. Finally noticing Sabrina at the other side of the chamber, he ran over to her and knelt down beside her, Alakazam following in tow.

"Sabrina!" Ash gasped, upon seeing up close the damage that'd been done, not even knowing what to do with his hands. "What did he do to you?"

Sabrina shook her head slowly, exhausted. "Not…him. Me."

Ash stayed speechless as he tried to comprehend how exactly Sabrina herself had rendered herself to the ground, blood leaking from her mouth. "H—," he started to say, but stopped himself. "Where's Lysandre?"

Sabrina lifted her head and squinted, scanning the area beside Volcanion where he'd been standing, before slowly laying it back down. "Still…had…Honchkrow."

Ash closed his eyes and opened them. "You shouldn't have taken him on by yourself."

"No choice," Sabrina moaned, attempting to peel herself off the ground. She stumbled, but Ash caught her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Let's get outta here," he said. After Sabrina nodded, he added, "And when we are, I expect a full run down of what happened."

Sabrina nodded to that as well and shuffled over to Alakazam. A silent understanding passed between them, and a second later, the three of them disappeared in a flash of magenta light.

 **Next — Chapter 5: Taking Aim**

* * *

 **Yes, I'll be making up custom moves just to spice things up and keep it interesting. I find it a given that when a trainer reaches a high enough caliber, they'd start collaborating directly with their pokémon to develop their own techniques. That being said, Lysandre's "Poison Strike" technique was Substitute + any move, in this case, Poison Jab. You can leave your move suggestions in a review or something, and if I think it's cool enough, I'll include it and credit you. Requires a description of the move and what pokémon might use it.**

 **Also, yes, I'm also aware Lysandre had seven pokémon. And Z-moves works differently in this story.**

 **PM me if you have questions or just want to talk.**

* * *

 **Movesets**

 **ASH KETCHUM**

 **Pikachu** \- Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, Electric Terrain

 **Charizard** \- Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Wing Attack, Slash, Dragon Tail, Blast Burn

 **Lucario** \- Aura Sphere, Bullet Punch, Low Kick, High Jump Kick, Close Combat, Ice Punch, Shadow Claw

 **SABRINA NATSUME**

 **Mr. Mime** \- Future Sight, Psychic, Barrier, Dazzling Gleam, Psychic Assault

 **Venomoth** \- Silver Wind, Psybeam, Poison Powder, Venoshock

 **Snorlax** \- Giga Impact, Zen Headbutt, Fissure, Hyper Beam


	5. Taking Aim

_**ultimateCCC**_ **\- Cyrus was recovered from the Distortion World, Lysandre did not die, and Maxie/Archie didn't give up crime. How or why is irrelevant. The point is that all of them were incarcerated by the International Police. As for how Sabrina's emotions are affected by her psychic abilities, that'll be talked about later :)**

 _ **Rayquaza'sdaboss -**_ **Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story :)**

 **This is a shorter chapter. Sorry.**

* * *

 **The Sinnoh Crisis**

 **Chapter 5**

— **Taking Aim** —

* * *

 **Sinnoh Stratosphere —** _ **The Dreadnought**_

The doors to the _Dreadnought_ 's bridge opened, and Lysandre stumbled inside, practically falling to the floor because of the wounds on his back. The leader turned in her chair and raised a brow upon seeing his collapsed form.

"What is this?" she purred, genuinely curious as to how Lysandre had been rendered to such a state.

Without a word, the case slipped from Lysandre's fingers and clattered to the floor noisily.

"Ah, you retrieved the package," the leader smiled, pleased. "I must say, I'm quite impressed at your determination."

Lysandre descended into a coughing fit, and the leader frowned, turning away from the former Flare boss. When his hacking subsided, Lysandre wiped his mouth and stood up as straight as he could.

"You would not believe the struggles I persevered through to get that case here," Lysandre scowled. "I had to abandon my Volcanion just to escape with my life!"

"The Aura Guardian gave you trouble?" the leader scoffed.

Lysandre shook his head, staving off another wave of coughs with a scrunch of his face. "No," he said hoarsely. "Ketchum has a partner now. A gym leader from Kanto named Sabrina Natsume. A human psychic."

The leader raised her brows. "Really? An actual human psychic? I didn't think the International Police would employ such an…unreliable asset. I'd very much like to meet her."

"This psychic is different," Lysandre said. "Her destructive power was…unbelievable. She was like a legendary pokémon herself."

"You seem to be quite spooked," the leader noticed. "I would think a trainer such as yourself wouldn't get so easily roughed up."

"She's a monster! Less human than even the Aura Guardian!" Lysandre snapped.

The leader grinned, her perfect teeth glimmering in the darkness."Now I really can't wait to meet her."

Lysandre grumbled under his breath, kicking the case over to the leader's chair. "Are you even going to tell me what's in that case _that I risked my life for_?"

"It's a hard drive that contains data gathered by the late Team Galactic," the said passively, extending an arm down to pick up the case. "Maps and charts that detail the movement of other dimensions. In other words, nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"How long are you going to keep us hostage here?" Lysandre rumbled, glaring at the back of the leader's chair.

"I'm keeping no one hostage."

"Do exactly as I say or I'll kill you! That isn't hostage?"

"The others seemed to have settled in just fine," the leader said nonchalantly, without turning to look at Lysandre. "I don't see why you can't as well."

"This…this power fantasy of yours is ridiculous!" Lysandre raged, visibly retraining himself from lashing out at her. "The others are fools for playing along!"

"My plan is ridiculous?'" the leader snorted. "Shall we take a dive into your past endeavors?"

Lysandre scoffed. "What can I say? Idealism is profitable." He shook his head in futility. "I suppose it means nothing now. Now we're all just your pets that you'll kill when you're finished with, just like Archie."

The leader yawned. "Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't. I could care less what happens to you when you're no longer useful, as long as you don't jeopardize my plans. I knew a man like Archie might talk to the International Police if given the proper bribe, and I wasn't about to let that happen, and so I had you kill him. It's elementary logic, really."

For a while, Lysandre was silent, the sounds of his labored breathing filling the bridge. Eventually, he turned on his feet and stalked to the doors.

"I await my next assignment with _overwhelming_ anticipation."

The leader smiled as he left. They were making such a fantastic team!

* * *

Sabrina opened her eyes. Scalding light saturated her vision, and she shut them instantly, now zapped fully out of her unconsciousness by the scorching luminance of her surroundings. Waiting patiently for her eyes to adjust, she sat up in whatever bed she'd somehow gotten into. She opened her eyes again, shielding them with her arm. Scanning her immediate surroundings, she noticed that she was, in fact, not in a bed, but a hospital gurney. Excellent.

As her vision dimmed down to normal levels, she noticed that she seemed to be in the human ward of a pokémon center. White walls surrounded her on all sides, and array of medical machinery sat to her side. An IV drip curled into her arm, and a nasal cannula wrapped around her head and into her nose. Instinctively sniffing in a breath, she crinkled up her nose and pulled the cannula from it.

Before she had a chance to pull out the IV, get up, and find out where Ash and her pokémon were, the master Aura Guardian walked into the room at that exact moment, munching on a croissant and tearing off bits for Pikachu. When he saw her awake, he smiled. Bags hung under his eyes.

"Sabrina. Glad to have you back."

She rubbed her face and slid further under the thin sheet blanketing her body from the stomach down. "Hi."

He chuckled weakly and sat down on a nearby chair, wheeling himself next to her bed. She coughed and turned away.

"We're at the Eterna Pokémon Center and it's a little past ten in the morning."

"Thanks," Sabrina murmured.

"Is that for letting you know what's going on, or for carrying you up here and getting your pokémon all healed up, not to mention safe and sound with me?" Ash asked, drumming his fingers on Sabrina's belt hanging from his own.

Sabrina blushed and quickly said another, "Thanks."

Ash smiled in acknowledgment and gave the rest of his croissant to Pikachu, who happily accepted the pastry and leapt off Ash's shoulder to finish the rest of it on Sabrina's bed. The psychic glanced over at her new bedmate, and a smile flickered across her face.

"I think he likes you," Ash commented.

As if to prove his statement, Pikachu took one last small bite of the croissant and held out the rest to Sabrina.

"Oh, um, no thank you," she said with a nervous smile. Pikachu shrugged and plopped himself down on his rear, digging back into the Kalosian delicacy.

"Don't talk to your pokémon much?" Ash asked.

Sabrina shook her head. "Not out loud."

Ash nodded. "You got that whole psychic communication thing down?"

Sabrina confirmed with another nod, and the two listed into silence again. The perpetual beep of Sabrina's health monitor blared through their thoughts, and Ash found himself compelled to speak again.

"Cynthia called while you were asleep."

That got Sabrina's attention. "What'd she say?"

"She was wondering where we'd disappeared off to. One moment she was cleaning up the situation with Archie, and the next, we were gone. I told her about Lysandre and what happened, and the Jubilife Fire Department is up in Eterna Forest taking stock of the damage. International's got a team checking out the Galactic building, but so far, nothing."

"He went there to get a briefcase," Sabrina said quietly, replaying all she could remember about the day before. "That's what was in the room when we got there."

Ash frowned. "A briefcase."

Sabrina nodded. "And he never said what was in it, or why he needed it."

"Interesting. I'll have to get back to Cynthia about that," Ash said. "Actually, the other reason she called was to tell us that she was flying out of Sinnoh for another assignment."

"What?" Sabrina shouted, louder than she meant to. "Why?"

Ash shrugged. "She said she couldn't say. Classified, and all. Really makes you wonder why they'd be pulling Sinnoh's Champion out of Sinnoh when it's Sinnoh that currently has a handful of terrorists on the loose."

"That is weird," Sabrina agreed.

"Nevertheless, she also gave us our next assignment. While she's out, Lucian's in charge of coordinating this whole operation."

"Who's Lucian?"

Ash stared at her blankly, before remembering that she would have no reason to be familiar with the man. "He's one of Sinnoh's Elite Four. A psychic-user, actually. He's not a real psychic, though. Just some world-renowned psychologist or something like that. Anyways, he'll be meeting with us in the next city over, Hearthome, to give us our next job."

"When are we supposed to meet him?" Sabrina asked, clearly not wanting the answer to be anytime soon.

"Ideally, we would've been there yesterday. But… " He swallowed and licked his lips. "You've been asleep for three days."

"What?!" Sabrina demanded, adrenaline shooting through her veins as she bolted up in her bed.

"Three days," Ash repeated. "A bit of spinal fluid leaked through a crack within your skull."

The young psychic clamped her palms around her head. "W-When were you planning on telling me that?"

Ash sighed. "I was hoping it'd come up in conversation like it did. But you're fine now, thanks to one of International's best doctors."

"International?"

"They figured it'd be better to have an Interpol doctor patch you up, so word of your identity… and injury didn't get out."

Sabrina lapsed into silence at slumped back onto her bed, her breathing ragged and uneven.

"But you're fine now.. Though I think it'd be in both of our best interests if we talked about what you are and aren't capable of so this, erm, sort of thing doesn't happen again. But in the meantime, we need to get going. This hiccup of yours only gives us two more days to get to Hearthome."

Sabrina moaned and fell back onto her pillow, staring up at the ceiling with dead eyes.

"Lucian knows about… what happened with you," Ash continued. "But Cynthia said it was imperative that we arrive in Hearthome by week's end. Something's going down that we can't miss." He sighed, trying to console her. "Personally, I think they think one of the escapees are going to show up. So for all we know, he could be there now." Seeing Sabrina still hadn't moved, Ash sighed and tried something else. "If it's any consolation, Cynthia apologized for the inconvenience."

A groan escaped Sabrina's mouth and she sat up again.

"Remember what you told me," Ash said. "You said you wouldn't let me down. Taking on Lysandre was… brave, but that's just the beginning."

He stood up, allowing Pikachu to scamper up onto his shoulder. "Me and Pikachu'll be downstairs waiting. Don't take too long."

Lingering for a second as if he wanted to say something more, Ash shook and head and left the room, tossing his empty paper plate into the garbage can as he did.

The door shut, and Sabrina exhaled loudly. Sitting up, she just now noticed that she was no longer wearing her own clothes; rather, a typical hospital gown. Flushing, she turned her head and exhaled a sigh of relief. Her clothes were folded neatly on the bedside table.

Glancing around the empty room, she ripped the IV cord from her arm and scurried over to the door, pulling the curtain of the rectangular window. Then, as if someone was expected to walk in at any moment, she peeled out of her hospital gown and pulled on her shirt, pants, and shoes.

The door opened behind her, and she whipped around. Ash's head poked into the room followed by his fist clutching her belt of pokémon.

"Here Sabrina, I—" He cut himself short as Sabrina threw her scarf around her neck. "Oh, uh, sorry. Guess it's pretty lucky…" He sucked his lips awkwardly. "I forgot to give you your belt."

Emotionless, Sabrina stalked over to the Aura Guardian and clipped her belt around her waist. "Thanks."

"Sooo, let's go?"

On his shoulder, Pikachu snickered.

* * *

They walked in silence through the ancient cobbled streets of Eterna. Ash had already packed his bag full of any and all supplies they'd need for the trip, and despite the obvious heavy load, he hadn't complained any further. Sabrina considered offering to help, but decided against breaking the silence. Police officers and agents of the International Police patrolled the streets, no doubt in an attempt to quell any sort of ensuing chaos following Lysandre's attack. To the north, the Galactic building had been cordoned off as International cleaned up. The Volcanion they'd found there had been detained and exported to a secure location before the public could get a glimpse of it. So, as it'd happened, Ash and Sabrina had been left to their own devices to get to Hearthome.

It wasn't until they'd reached the city limits, that Ash broke the silence.

"How are you liking the outside world so far?"

Sabrina furrowed her brow in hurt. "I've been outside before."

"But not outside Saffron or Kanto."

Sabrina mulled over her answer "It's not as scary as I thought it would be."

"Really?" Ash said in surprise. "Even though you're only here because you're hunting the most dangerous criminals of the decade?"

"Nothing in this plane scares me anymore," she answered.

Ash sucked in a breath and glanced around. "I'll… ask what you mean by that another time."

Despite her slight headache she still had, Sabrina managed a smile.

"But, I think is as good a time as ever to talk about what you can do with your powers. And what you can't do."

The road had turned from paved concrete to smoothed gravel as they went from the grassy outskirts of Eterna to the alpine foothills of the towering Mount Coronet. A pearly fog now wafted around their ankles, and path steadily began to slope up. Vibrant grasses and crystal clear rivers flowed past them and beneath them, like the very lifeblood of the ancient mountain was welcoming them into its depths. However, as they ascended, the fog began to thicken and the flora began to diminish.

"I don't know how you expect me to answer that question," Sabrina replied after some thought.

Ash chewed on his lips. "Well, what's the most destructive thing you can do?"

Sabrina shot him a scowl, but answered nonetheless. "I don't know. I've never tried to do anything too big. Fighting Lysandre was the first time I've ever had to lift my power restraints."

"Power restraints? Is that what those huge bracelets are?"

Sabrina nodded, instinctively rubbing the twin power limiters. "The Kanto-Indigo League constructed them for me after I…" She trailed off.

"After you…," Ash prompted.

"After I exiled my parents from my gym and turned several challengers into dolls."

Ash's face lit up, and he grinned. "Really?"

Sabrina returned a smile. "I've grown used to them. I've been wearing them ever since that incident."

"But you said you could remove the restraints whenever you wanted."

"I can moderate their restraining power, but I can never actually take them off. See?" she said, pulling with all her might on one of the bracelets. It never even budged. She may as well have been trying to pull open a locked door.

"Damn. How's that possible? They're not even touching your arms!"

Sabrina smiled. "I have no idea how they work, just that they do."

"So, hypothetically, if you were to somehow remove them or break them, what would happen?"

"My mind would probably overload and explode."

That gave Ash pause. He opened his mouth to respond, but ultimately decided he couldn't find the words.

"But, like I said, they can never be taken off, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, well, what if something breaks?" Ash sputtered, shocked by Sabrina's nonchalance.

"Well then, I guess I'd better hope I'm strong enough to suppress it myself before it has a chance to blow my skull open."

The remaining journey to the mouth of Mount Coronet was uneventful, and they arrived just as the sun had begun its descent towards the horizon. Ash had packed a pair of sleeping bags, which they only ended up having to use once. By the evening of the following day, they'd emerged onto a grassy plateau overlooking the expansive city, one day before their meeting with Lucian. Hearthome City glimmered beneath them, the gym and the world famous Contest Hall towering above all else.

It didn't take long for them to descend down the rest of the mountain and enter the city. At such a late hour, hardly anyone was out, which made locating the pokémon center a tad more difficult since there was no one to ask. But Ash seemed to recognize his way through the age-old city, and they soon found themselves in a room together. Sabrina used the shower first, and by the time Ash had gotten in and out of the shower, Sabrina was already fast asleep in the far bed, blankets pulled up to her nose. Ash followed suit and collapsed into the second bed, swiftly falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Your urgency is appreciated, Ash and Sabrina. With Lady Cynthia away, high caliber trainers such as yourselves are a welcome sight."

They were sitting in a booth at a dimly lit restaurant Lucian said he frequented whenever he was in town. It was afternoon. Lucian had ensured the meeting wouldn't interfere with any hours of sleep in a real bed the pair needed to catch up on, so as it was, Ash and Sabrina were perfectly well rested and attentive. However, when neither of them responded to Lucian's pleasantries, he pressed on.

"I'll be blunt about the situation. Ghetsis Harmonia will appear here in Hearthome. The details of the assignment were not provided to you because I wanted to ensure our intelligence didn't fall into the wrong hands, or at best, alert our enemies of what we know. The fact of the matter is that Ghetsis himself has not been seen, rather, he is _expected_ to make an appearance tomorrow."

"Why do you think that?" Ash frowned.

Lucian smiled. "I'm glad you asked." He pulled a tablet from within his suit and flicked his finger across the screen until he arrived on a long list of names. He turned the tablet so the pair could see. "This is a guest list for an invite-only dinner party hosted by Hearthome's aristocracy." He scrolled down in the list and highlighted a name, triggering an entire profile of the individual to pop up. "And look who just happened to snag himself an invitation."

The smirking face of the former Plasma boss stared back at them. It was unnatural how timeless he looked. His hair was still the same sour green it'd been when Ash had initially met the man in Unova, albeit now cut shorter and tied back in a short ponytail. Replacing his targeting lens and black trench coat was a tinted monocle and an expensive looking suit jacket.

Ash grimaced. "Somehow he looks even slimier than before. Dude does not look good in a tux."

Sabrina squinted and leaned closer to the tablet. "Sir Grey Blackburn?"

"Yes," Lucian chuckled. "That appears to be the name he's going under. Sir Grey Blackburn, benefactor of the Pokémon Liberation Movement. Quite dramatic, I must say. He clearly hasn't changed at all."

"How'd he even get himself on this guest list?" Ash asked, never taking his eyes off Ghetsis' picture, as if it'd jump out if he looked away.

"I imagine a simple hack did the trick. I'm not that into the technology of it all, but as I understand it, we have engineers trying to trace his entry into the system back to his current location, or something along those lines. If Elite Four Aaron were here, he'd be able to explain the minutiae of the whole operation, but I take comfort in knowing that the situation is being handled by qualified experts."

"So, what? We wait at the door and watch everyone that comes in?" Ash said. "And Ghetsis is supposed to just walk in along with everyone else?"

Lucian shrugged and took a sip of his martini. "I will admit that that question has stumped even our analysts back at headquarters. Personally, I believe that if Ghetsis' true motive is to infiltrate this dinner party, he'll find a way to do so even if we watch every entrance into the building. Which brings us full circle as to why you two are here." He smiled to himself as he pulled up a different page on his tablet.

"As I said, this dinner party is invite-only, but the attendees are allowed to bring along their own servants and security detail, as long as they're registered, of course."

"So we're going as a couple of servants or something?" Ash asked.

"Well, _you_ are."

"Excuse me?" Ash and Sabrina said simultaneously.

Lucian chuckled at their synchronicity. "I spoke to Gym Leader Fantina, and she spoke to the host of this little event, and he was gracious enough to extend an invitation to you, Sabrina."

"What?" Sabrina said, blushing furiously. "Why me?"

"Because you're a gym leader," Lucian explained. "Foreign investors are always welcome at these sorts of parties, especially from a city as prosperous as Saffron. You'll go as yourself, Sabrina, and Ash, you'll go as her servant."

"You're serious?" Ash said, dumbfounded. "I can't even go as her security detail?"

"That would look a little too suspicious," Lucian grinned, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "As not only a gym leader, but a powerful human psychic, she would have no need for any security."

"How about as a chaperone?" Ash groaned, turning a blind eye to the glare he got from Sabrina.

"I think you're forgetting that Ms. Natsume isn't a minor, Ash," Lucian said with a smirk. "You'll both be provided with an outfit to be worn at the party, as well as a mask. I forgot to mention that this dinner party also doubles as a masquerade ball, which means everyone will be wearing masks."

"Will we have to dance?" Sabrina suddenly cut in, her cheeks tinged red.

Lucian smirked. "Well, I imagine you'll have to play the part a little more than Ash. But I'd hardly call it dancing. It's more like walking slowly and turning a little. The League throws these kinds of balls periodically. Trust me, it isn't hard to get a feel for the rhythm."

That didn't seem to quell Sabrina's nervousness at all, but Lucian didn't linger on the question and quickly moved on. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ash smirking to himself.

"You two will be tasked with surveying the crowd from the inside and trying to locate Ghetsis. The International Police and I will be running surveillance on the outside, so in the event he does decide to go in through the front door, or any door, we'll have him in our custody before he steps a foot inside."

"And if he does make it inside somehow?" Ash asked.

"You'll notify us immediately so we can evacuate the other attendees," Lucian replied. "And then we'll provide what support we can to defeat him. But ultimately, that'll be up to the two of you."

"Why makes you think he's so powerful?" Sabrina asked. "I read his profile on the flight over here. He doesn't seem too powerful." Twiddling her thumbs, she added, "At least not for us."

Lucian smirked. "I suppose he would look that way to you. But to us… more textbook trainers, Ghetsis Harmonia is a formidable opponent that even Champion-class trainers would struggle against. Besides his prowess in battle, his vast collective of followers and his ruthless attempt to enslave the legendary dragons of Unova are more than enough to classify him as a threat among the highest echelons.

"I met him in Unova," Ash said. "He didn't seem to have any pokémon of his own. The only pokémon he used in battle was Reshiram. Besides, he didn't look like the trainer type."

"Looks can be deceiving, and unfortunately deception is one of Ghetsis' fortés. He didn't get to where he is in the criminal underworld on his charm alone, at least what crumbs he has of it. The intel on Ghetsis' roster is quite lacking, but International has been able to confirm a Hydreigon. Reports have it that any time Ghetsis does need to defend himself personally, Hydreigon is all he needs to squash the enemy beneath his boot."

"Doesn't seem too crazy," Ash muttered. "Not crazier than Archie and Lysandre, at least."

"Well, that's not quite the extent of it," Lucian sighed, swishing his martini around as if he'd lost his appetite. "Ghetsis' chief scientist, Achroma Colress has been evading capture since his boss' apprehension. However, International conducted a surprise raid on his secret lab in southeastern Unova several months ago. Although he destroyed his work and escaped again, our element of surprise made the clean up hasty, and we were able to recover a few blueprints."

"From what our engineers have been able to deduce, it seems that Doctor Colress is developing cybernetic augmentations to enhance a pokémon's powers in battle."

"Cybernetic augmentations?" Ash repeated.

"Monstrous, I know. The Doctor seems to have applied what he learned when constructing the pokémon control machine in building these enhancements, so the effect should be similar, and no doubt more potent. That is the logical conclusion, but from a literal standpoint, we really know nothing about this technology and what it's capable of. So I suppose… expect anything."

Ash nodded. "So, defeat Ghetsis, bring him to you, and maybe this time… try and make sure he doesn't get shot in the head by some psychic's puppet?"

Lucian returned a nod of confirmation. "Yes. We're still hoping to follow up on Lysandre's appearance in Eterna City, but this'll have to do for now. Getting even one of these men back into our custody is small victory."

Ash nodded offhandedly. "So, is that it?"

"One more closing note. I noticed in the analyses of Archie and Lysandre's teams that Lysandre's pokémon were considerably stronger. If there is a pattern here, then it could mean that Ghetsis is stronger than the both of them. And if that's the case. Then I fear to learn what the other three men have up their sleeves, not to mention the mysterious entity that freed them from incarceration." He sighed and downed the rest of his martini.

"Right," Ash acknowledged after an awkward pause, standing up and allowing Pikachu to scamper back onto his shoulder. Sabrina followed suit.

"The outfits you'll wear have already been delivered to your room at the pokémon center," Lucian said. "We won't be meeting again until Ghetsis reveals himself. From this point forward, it'll be up to you to do whatever means necessary to secure us an audience with Ghetsis. If he's able to slip through your fingertips, or he meets a similar silencing as Archie's, then we'll be left with no leads to follow up on, and our chances of locating these dangerous convicts may all but evaporate." He smiled grimly. "Best of luck."

 **Next — Chapter 6: The Black Baron**

* * *

 ** **Sorry it's been so long. I've been very busy. I was originally planning on putting the Ghetsis battle in this chapter, but this chapter's long enough to be released, and it HAS been four months, so….****

 **Anyways, enjoy, and please leave a review. PM me for any questions or if you just want to talk :)**

 _ **Subject 666**_

 _PS- I posted this story up on AO3 (Archive Of Our Own), so if you use that more or something, it'll be there too :)_

* * *

 **Movesets**

 **ASH KETCHUM**

 **Pikachu** \- Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, Electric Terrain

 **Charizard** \- Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Wing Attack, Slash, Dragon Tail, Blast Burn

 **Lucario** \- Aura Sphere, Bullet Punch, Low Kick, High Jump Kick, Close Combat, Ice Punch, Shadow Claw

 **SABRINA NATSUME**

 **Mr. Mime** \- Future Sight, Psychic, Barrier, Dazzling Gleam, _Psychic Assault_

 **Venomoth** \- Silver Wind, Psybeam, Poison Powder, Venoshock

 **Snorlax** \- Giga Impact, Zen Headbutt, Fissure, Hyper Beam


	6. (END) The Black Baron

_**! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE SINNOH CRISIS !**_

 **It's in all caps because I'm sure some people skip over the author's notes at the beginning of the chapter, and I want to make sure everyone sees it. But yes, simply put, I'm dissatisfied with the way I outlined this story. The characters' motivations don't really make sense, and overall, it no longer meets my standard of quality so I've decided to ditch it.**

 **That being said, I'm going to leave the portion of Chapter 6 that I had written down below so this chapter actually counts as a chapter, but unless a miracle idea hits my brain, this story will remain on permanent hiatus. I'm going to leave my original plans for the rest of the story at the end of this stub so you can see how I was planning on having the story pan out. Feel free to pick it up if you want. Just send me a PM so I can read along :)**

* * *

 _ **ultimateCCC -**_ **Ash doesn't necessarily need an army, he just needs the strength of an army ;)**

 _ **thor94**_ **\- Don't worry, in this chapter, it'll be Ash AND Sabrina vs. Ghetsis, so Ash'll get his fair share of badassery. As for being treated like royalty, Ash isn't really famous yet so… yeah. And thanks for your continued reviews :)**

 _ **Guest**_ **\- Nope, Ash is trying to keep his identity on the DL ;) Glad you liked it though.**

 **Thanks for 50 followers, guys! Now, without further ado….**

* * *

 **The Sinnoh Crisis**

 **Chapter 6**

— **The Black Baron—**

* * *

 **Sinnoh Region — Hearthome City**

Ash sighed as he stared at himself in the mirror. He looked ridiculous. Aside from the simple black tuxedo, he also wore a plain white mask over his eyes.

He checked his watch. Lucian was expecting them at base camp in ten minutes. There was no way they'd make it in time.

"C'mon Sabrina, we're gonna be late," Ash called, knocking on the bathroom door for the umpteenth time where she was changing into her outfit.

"Coming," came a meek grumble from the other side.

The door opened. Sabrina stood in the doorframe in a sleeveless violet dress that reached her knees, a stylized indigo mask, and a pair of black heels. Her jet black hair curled down her shoulder in a braid, and she had the lightest touch of makeup. Draped over her shoulders was a glossy army-green leather jacket.

"What?" Sabrina demanded, and Ash noticed he was staring.

"Sorry," Ash mumbled. "Just… nothing."

Sabrina frowned and grabbed the small handbag she'd also been provided with off the bed. Her pokéballs were already inside.

"Where's your pokémon?" she asked, noticing Ash's belt was missing from around his waist.

"I've got 'em," he said with a wink, but before Sabrina could ask where, he'd already reached for the door. "We've got to hustle, we're already going to be late."

"No we're not," Sabrina declared, pulling him back.

Ash faltered and glanced down at Sabrina's hand around his arm. Her nails were red.

The psychic's limiters, hopelessly out of place on the rest of her person, rotated a little faster around her wrists as they started to glow a soft jade.

"What're you—?"

But before he could finish his question, their room in the pokémon center blew away like smoke in the wind. Before he could comprehend what had happened to his surroundings, the former shapes and colors of the room had already melted into the hissing computers and suited bustle of Lucian's base of operations on the other side of town.

Ash blinked away the displacement he'd felt from the sudden teleportation and adjusted to the new environment.

They appeared to be another residential apartment, though this one was bigger, and packed with people and computers. Sabrina had teleported them right beside Lucian, and the elder man jumped when they'd suddenly appeared next to him.

"Sabrina! Ash! Where did you…?" He trailed off as he noticed the dying lights in Sabrina's bracelets.

"Ah, I see." He grinned, looking them both up and down. Ash scowled, itching beneath his collar. Sabrina glanced away uncomfortably. "You two look great."

A suited agent scurried up to Lucian and whispered something in his ear. The Elite 4 member nodded and shooed the man away.

"Looks like you got here just in time," he said. "That's your cue. But before you go, let me fill you in on what's going on here." He motioned for them to follow him to the window. He pulled the curtain aside and pointed at the massive building across the street.

"That's it there. The Hearthome Super Contest Hall."

The contest hall was huge, at least triple the length and twice the height of the condominium they were currently in. Fleets of limousines were already parked outside, and a horde of wealthy nobles clad in suits and dresses of the highest extravagance milled outside.

Ash nodded. "So, we just head in there?"

"Yes. But try not to get too roped into the party. Remember, you're there to keep an eye out for Ghetsis. Gym Leader Fantina is already inside with a battalion of her gym trainers disguised as guests at the ball. However, in the event that he does appear, they're on extraction. Depending on how destructive his entrance is, Fantina and her soldiers may or may not be able to assist you in battling him, but as it stands, you two are the only ones tasked with apprehending him."

"And you still don't know why he's even wasting him time at this dance?" Sabrina asked.

"Unfortunately not," Lucian replied. "Our specialists deduced pretty quickly that Ghetsis simply hacked into the guest list from a burner computer and input his phony ID into the system, but other than that, the only thing we can think of is that he's done all this to create a diversion for something else. International is surveying every inch of Sinnoh for anything out of the ordinary, but so far, nothing's come up. As for our operation here, my team and I will be running surveillance from here and watching for anything suspicious. And we already have guards stationed at every entrance that are checking in every thirty seconds. Really, you two are the backup plan to our backup plan."

"But that's probably what it'll come to, right?" Ash said.

Lucian sighed. "There's no guarantee. It could end up being that everything we've set up here in Hearthome is all for naught if Ghetsis doesn't actually show. Like I said, the most likely cause for Ghetsis' infiltration of the guest list is to create a diversion. Whether or not he actually shows up at the ball is irrelevant if that's truly his goal. Our attention will be focused here, rather than wherever he and his comrades are planning on striking next."

Sabrina furrowed her brows and looked back up at Lucian. "I think Ghetsis will appear."

Lucian turned to her, his eyes flashing quizzically. "Go on."

"In the interrogation of Archie Aogiri, Archie accidently let slip that his team was interested in Eterna and Hearthome. Right after that, Lysandre raided Team Galactic's old Eterna outpost to obtain a briefcase hidden in a secret basement."

"You think Ghetsis is looking for something at the Contest Hall?" Ash asked.

"Perhaps not in the Hall itself," Lucian said, "but among tonight's guests." He nodded in understanding. "Yes, that is a possibility as well. I'm not sure what Ghetsis or his friends would want with an aristocrat of Hearthome, but I suppose we can take a closer look at the guest list. Good thinking, Sabrina."

Sabrina nodded once stoically, as Lucian called over one of the men under his command.

"Look into every single guest attending the ball. See if any of them possess something Ghetsis may want."

The specialist snapped a salute and hurried off to begin his new assignment.

Lucian turned back and locked eyes with both of them. "Two more thing before you go. First, please take these."

He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out two small devices. "These are earpieces. You'll be using these to keep in contact with me."

Ash and Sabrina both took one and put them in their ears.

"Now secondly. If either of you is to encounter Ghetsis alone, do not engage him until you are together. I don't underestimate the battle prowess of either of you, but there are civilians in attendance tonight. Initiating battle against Ghetsis on your own may result in collateral damage. He is extremely dangerous, much more so than Lysandre or Archie. That much we've been able to confirm."

The two young trainers nodded, though Ash looked slightly annoyed, and Lucian fixed them both with a concerned eye. "I...I am truly sorry we're placing such a burden on you two. If there were _any_ other way…"

"We understand," Sabrina confirmed. "Should we go now?"

Lucian nodded solemnly. "Best of luck."

* * *

A cold draft passed through a custodial closet beneath the Hearthome Super Contest Hall. Within the closet was a large, long box that had been delivered the day before. The label on the outside read "Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner."

There was no surface cleaner in the box.

Eerily, the two flaps on top of the box opened slowly, as a large, vaguely rectangular mass within rose out of the box and into the air. The mass floated clear out of the box and silently placed itself on the linoleum floor next to it, standing upright.

Then something within the mass moved, and it too opened, ethereal slats of tempered otherworldly steel sliding apart without a sound. A dark fog wafted out from the opened mass, now just a void of darkness.

From the void stepped a boot. And then a whole man.

Ghetsis Harmonia stepped from the vehicle of his appearance, his suit perfected pressed, his hair carefully cured. His withdrew an ultra ball from within his coat and recalled his Cofagrigus.

He smiled, departing the janitor closet, his walking stick moving in tune with him like a third leg. Now, the festivities would _really_ begin.

* * *

The Super Contest chamber was massive. Stained glass windows and crystalline chandeliers refracted the cool evening light into the masquerade. Velvet floors stretched to every corner of the room, and golden busts of Contest Champions lined the walls.

Ash and Sabrina pulled on their masks as they entered the hall. The lights in the lobby were dimmed, and the other attendees of the ball were talking in low voices; a somber monotony in the background of the darkened scene. Waiters slid between guests distributing _hors d'oeuvres_ and thin glasses of wine.

"Quite the party," Ash murmured, accepting a small glazed fig from a passing waiter.

"What?" Sabrina whispered, declining the waiter as he moved his platter in her direction.

Ash shook his head and dismissed her. "Keep an eye out for 'Blackburn.'"

Sabrina nodded, scanning the room. She turned to Ash. "Well, let's go."

"After you," Ash said, motioning ahead. "Remember, I'm just the servant?"

Sabrina scowled and penetrated the crowd, Ash following close behind. They both mingled, not caring where they were going, their senses focused on scanning the room for Ghetsis. As Sabrina slid between bodies, she summoned an invisible telekinetic field that encompassed the entire ballroom. Within the field, all became visible, and her mind could then sweep the floors faster than her eyes ever could. However, her probe came up with nothing. Ghetsis was nowhere to be found.

Ash paced behind Sabrina, studying each and every guest as he passed them. As he walked, he caught bits and pieces of conversation. It was all about money. Funding and defunding, corporations and companies, profit and luxury. Though this was to be expected. He shifted to targeting people who stood alone, surveying the crowd as he was. There weren't many, and it seemed that everyone not engaged in conversation ended up being one of the undercover gym trainers Lucian had talked about, speaking in a low tone to themselves every now and then, no doubt reporting to their fellows what was going on.

Ash wondered if Ghetsis was even in this room. Or if he was watching them right now. Would he even be standing alone or speaking with other partygoers? Had he accepted a glazed fig from the same waiter? Tasted its same sweet flavor? That last question left a sour aftertaste in Ash's mouth.

"Miss Sabrina, I'm so glad you were able to make it tonight," a man greeted Sabrina, breaking Ash from his thoughts.

The man extended a hand. "Mayor Yosuga. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you, Mayor," Sabrina smiled, accepting the handshake. "It's a lovely party you've put together."

The mayor beamed with pride, letting out a loud chortle. "Of course! Nothing but the finest for our wonderful aristocrats. I do hope you'll join me on the dance floor. The masquerade is about to begin." He held out an arm.

Sabrina glanced back at Ash, then quickly back at the Mayor. "Of course," she smiled, wrapping her arm within his.

As the two turned to push deeper into the crowd, Mayor Yosuga frowned at Ash. "Miss Sabrina, I do hope you're feeling safe here. We took the utmost of precautions with security this year. I don't want to give anything away, but…" He leaned closer to her. "The International Police seem to think that criminal Ghetsis Harmonia will show up tonight at the ball." He beamed and let loose an amused laugh. "I'm sure it's a bunch of paranoia on their part. You know Hearthome's very own gym leader is here to protect us!"

"Oh, yes, I heard," Sabrina chuckled along with the mayor. "And you seem to forget that I myself am a gym leader as well."

"Ha! Of course," Yosuga said, continuing to lead her through the crowd.

Sabrina narrowed her eyes and kept her head down. Even though she was a full grown woman, people still underestimated her. Put bluntly, it pissed her off. She glanced behind her, and her eyes widened. Ash had already disappeared in the crowd. Now, she was on her own.

Once they arrived at the dance floor, Mayor Yosuga led them in a dance to the tune of a mellow orchestra; a cascade of strings. As they danced, the Mayor grinned at Sabrina, and she blushed beneath her mask.

"So…," he began, speaking in a low tone. "Would you consider yourself a…mmm, historically inclined lady, Miss Sabrina?"

"I'm sorry?"

The mayor laughed. "We're constructing a museum downtown. I was wondering if you'd have any interest in supporting its construction."

"Oh," she said. So this was what the Mayor had separated Ash from her for. Just to shake a bit of money out of her. She decided to humor him.

"What period of history are you planning on covering?"

"Ah, the history of our great city!" the mayor replied, clearly pleased Sabrina had taken in interest. "Too many people do not know of how we came to be the Contest center of the world! I thought it'd be a nice attraction for school field trips and the sort."

"I see."

"Of course I'm not suggesting that the Saffron Gym end up sponsoring us, but perhaps if you could pass the world along to some friends back home…?" He grinned, giving Sabrina time to mull her decision over.

The orchestra seemed to reach a crescendo as the section neared an end.

"I will be sure to pass along the word," Sabrina affirmed, taking every step with telekinetic precision, refusing to stumble in front of the Hearthome mayor. However, the music changed, and she breathed a sigh of relief, swiveling into step with another of the many aristocrats attending the ball.

"Gym Leader Sabrina of Kanto, I was wondering when I'd run into you tonight."

Sabrina glanced up at her partner, and her blood turned to ice. She was met with a sleek, jet black mask.

"Sir Grey Blackburn of the Pokémon Liberation Movement," her partner introduced.

Sabrina tried to get away from him, but quicker than she thought imaginable, Ghetsis' gloved fists closed around her wrists and forced her to keep up their dancing charade.

"Now, now, let's not get hasty. We don't want to ruin the party." He grinned, his teeth yellow beneath his extravagant attire. "I must say it took longer than expected before Ketchum finally separated from you. You really don't like traversing big crowds by yourself, do you?" When it was clear he wasn't getting a response from her, he grinned even wider. "That's fine. Social anxiety is understandable, especially for a child of your upbringing."

Sabrina considered screaming, but Ash could've been on the other side of the chamber for all she knew. She'd have to handle Ghetsis herself until she could find him. Silently, she began extending mental feelers out for him.

"Why are you here?" she said calmly.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Ghetsis chortled, swaying to the rhythm of the music, pulling Sabrina across the floor with him.

As the orchestrated performance reached another crescendo, Ghetsis leaned closer to Sabrina, his hot breath against her cheek, the pungent smell of his cologne penetrating her nostrils. "My associate has become quite infatuated with your psychic powers," he whispered. "I must say, we were all quite surprised to see the state you left dear Lysandre in."

"Did you want a demonstration?"

Ghetsis smiled, tightening his grip on her wrist, acknowledging her bulky power inhibitors. "These contraptions are particularly fascinating to me. Why suppress your power? Why not command the respect and authority you deserve? You and I both know the International Police isn't using you nearly as effectively as they could."

"Well, since you're in such a helpful mood, why don't you tell me what you and your friends are up to?" Sabrina growled back. She'd learned her lesson with Lysandre. Ghetsis was not to be underestimated.

Ghetsis licked his lips and snickered in her ear, pulling away. "My apologies. I was merely expressing an opinion. I didn't mean to suggest that I was in any way attempting to help you."

That gave Sabrina an idea. Beneath the mask she wore, her eyes glimmered with potency as she extended a mental probe into Ghetsis' mind. However, to her surprise, she couldn't sense anything! Horrified, she turned a glare on her enemy.

Ghetsis grinned. "Something the matter, _Psychic_?"

She never got a chance to answer. Ghetsis' body suddenly bucked to the side, flying over the velvet floor. A resounding _crack_ echoed through the expansive chamber as Ghetsis slammed into one of the enormous marble pillars bracing the lofty ceiling. He slid down its side, a smear of blood trailing from a gash in his head. His legs spread out before him, and his head hung unmoving

Sabrina turned just in time to see the dying breath of Ash's Force Palm waft away into the now maddened chamber.

Guests screamed, running as fast as their dainty legs could carry them away from Ash. from amidst the crowd, Fantina appeared dressed in a gown of crystalline violet, along with a squad of suited gym trainers at her command. As pandemonium ensued around the Aura Guardian, Fantina and her trainers worked quickly to distill order and file the nobles out of the building as quickly as possible. Before long, only Ash, Sabrina, a trio of Fantina's trainers, and the mangled body of Ghetsis remained.

Silence roared as they waited for a response to come from the facedown form of the former Plasma boss. Silently, one of the Gym trainers motioned to another, and the both of them started to approach him.

"Is he alive?" one of the gym trainers asked, his voice echoing through the now empty chamber.

"I can't tell," Sabrina replied. "Somehow, he resisted my powers."

Two of the gym trainers advanced on Ghetsis' broken form and Ash took a wary step forward. "Wait. Get away from him."

"You needn't worry about us, Master Ketchum," one of the trainers said dismissively, waving him off and continuing his advance on Ghetsis' prone form.

"Wait!" Ash repeated, this time more forcefully, but the two trainers had already reached Ghetsis, and the one that'd dismissed Ash before had already lifted Ghetsis' head by his chin.

"What...the hell?" he stammered, his body blocking Ash and Sabrina's view.

"Wha—?"

Suddenly, Ghetsis' arms shot outward, hands pointed directly at the two trainers necks. In the blink of an eye, his hands grasped both trainers necks at once. With an inhuman strength, Ghetsis crushed the two trainers' necks simultaneously. Blood spilled from their mouths as their legs went prone, their bodies only kept aloft by Ghetsis' deathly grip. The Plasma Boss cast them aside like garbage, blood dripping from his arms and hands, and he began to stand.

Gone was the powdered face of the former Plasma boss. In its place, a narrow muzzle of dusk gray fur and twin rows of sharpened fangs grinned back at them. As 'Ghetsis' rose to his full height, his silken robes and sour green hair melted away in a cloud of red haze, leaving an infernal Zoroark in his place.

"Well, that explains quite a few things," Ash murmured, wrinkling his nose at the stench of the murdered trainers

"Then where's the real Ghetsis?" Sabrina said, already scanning the area around them.

"Right here," a voice said behind them.

Ash and Sabrina both whipped around in time to see Sir Blackburn pulling a bloodied dagger from the back of the remaining Gym trainer. Blood gurgled from her mouth before she slumped to the floor, Ghetsis striding past her, wiping his weapon clean on her suit jacket.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances," he said. Turning to Ash, he added, "Or I suppose reacquaintance for you, boy."

"Ghetsis," Ash spat.

With a nocturnal howl, Zoroark leaped into the air, over the heads of Ash and Sabrina, and landed deftly beside its cruel master, smirking. Ghetsis absentmindedly stroked its fur.

"I heard from Lysandre you've become quite the boastful opponent," the Plasma boss taunted. "Perhaps it's time to put your true abilities to the test!"

"With pleasure," Ash snarled, thrusting his palm forward. An orb of Aura the size of a basketball coalesced in his hand. However instead of launching it towards Zoroark and Ghetsis, Ash hurled it into the air. Suddenly, lightning began to spew from the hovering Aura ball. The chamber lit up as the rogue bolts started to zap down with increasing erraticism, arcs of electricity lashing the velvet floor and shattering the painted windows. The epicenter of the golden inferno solidified into the minute form of Pikachu, eyes smoldering with azure energy as he absorbed all electrons in the air.

" _Gigavolt Havoc!_ " Ash roared. The eye of the maelstrom became impossible to look at as all the generated electricity seemed to coalesce back into a tiny pinprick of energy between Pikachu's paws. Then, at nearly the speed of light, a blinding shaft of electricity zapped into Zoroark and Ghetsis, and tore through the velvet floor. Fire engulfed the chamber and the two menaces disappeared under a haze of smoke.

Sabrina ripped off her mask and hurled a pokéball from her bag. "Venemoth, Defog!"

As the eerie moth began dispelling the smoke, Sabrina's eyes melted in jade as she began extinguishing the fires, quieting their savagery, and snuffing them out.

Pikachu emerged from the smoke glaring, and scampered up Ash's body, tendrils of electricity still crackling across its body.

Across the hall, a humongous Golurk stood in front of Ghetsis and Zoroark, who both smirked at their opponents.

"That was quite an impressive surprise attack," Ghetsis said. "Did you use your Aura to conceal your Pikachu until the opportune moment to strike?"

Ash stayed silent. Sabrina spoke.

"Why are you here?"

Ghetsis smirked and brushed Zoroark's fur. "At least one of you are in the mood to chat. I know I declined to answer your question before, but I appreciate your forwardness, even though you don't particularly enjoy being the center of attention. It almost makes up for Ketchum's _weakness_." He savored Ash's sneer. " _You_ have my respect, Sabrina Natsume. I'll repay your initiative with some honesty of my own. Surely you deduced that my coming here means I took an interest in the guests at tonight's little ball…"

Ash and Sabrina both faltered. They hadn't heard anything back from Lucian yet about a possible connection between Ghetsis and one of the ball's guests. Nor had they heard about any of the guests going missing or even killed. It seemed they were all accounted for…

Ghetsis grinned at their confusion, Zoroark mimicking its master. "Perplexing indeed. Who at this ball would _I_ have such a vested interest in?" He turned his palm towards his face, pretending it was some sort of notepad. Dragging his finger down his hand, he began muttering to himself. "Hmm, hmm, hmm, oh! Two attendees who received late invitations! Now this looks interesting! _The gym leader of Saffron City, Sabrina Natsume, and her mysterious servant!_ "

Ash glared daggers at a sneering Ghetsis, while Sabrina bristled at the revelation.

 _He's here… for us?_

"After that pompous fool Lysandre returned barely breathing, I knew I had to test your powers for myself. An Aura Guardian and a real human psychic! Doctor Colress wouldn't let me live it down if I'd allowed such a prime opportunity to pass without taking advantage of it to test his new creations. And since it doesn't seem like you two are planning on getting out of our way anytime soon, I figured I might as well gauge just how powerful you really are!"

Ash's eye twitched and his fist trembled from being clenched so tight. "Pikachu…" he growled, "Attack Technique Three." He opened his fist, and a crazed mass of Aura exploded into existence in his palm.

Simultaneously, Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and landed deftly on the scorched floor, bounding towards Golurk, blue electricity sparking from its cheeks.

Immediately, Ghetsis switched to battle mode. His suave facade dropped as he began barking orders to his pokémon. "Shadow Punch, Golurk!"

An otherworldly groan thrummed from Golurk's towering form as the phantom automaton reeled back its arm. Flickering embers of pitch black matter shimmered around its fist.

As Pikachu neared his opponent, the Aura in Ash's palm flared, and the electric mouse shuddered as his partner's power flooded his system. Ready to execute his attack, Pikachu leaped into the air. As Golurk's fist shot towards him, Pikachu somersaulted over the automaton's strike and landed on the back of its hand.

Ghetsis grinned, baring his yellowing teeth. "HAHA!

* * *

 **If you don't know why the chapter's ending here, go back up and read the author's note at the start.**

 **Hopefully you aren't too blue-balled by this ending. To be honest, I don't know how this battle would've gone either, so we're in the same boat on that front. Now, the plot I promised:**

 **Lusamine is the mysterious woman in command of the Dreadnaught, and she is responsible for breaking the six crime lords out of prison (This was going to be a big reveal when I first started writing this because Pokemon Sun/Moon had just come out, but it's probably obvious at this point). She did this in order to use them as pawns in her own schemes. But what was her end goal?**

 **Her plan was to use the power of Lunala to rip open a portal to Ultra Space atop Spear Pillar. Once in Ultra Space, she would assume her Nihilego form and the Ultra Beasts within would fall under her control. And thanks to the disturbance in space-time, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina all would've also shown up in Ultra Space, and an all out war would break out between the Creation Trio and Lusamine's Ultra Beasts. After the Ultra Beasts begin to get the upper hand, Arceus is forced to intervene. This is Lusamine's end goal: to force Arceus into appearing, and once he does, enslaving him so that she could have the powers of God under her control.**

 **I don't know why Lusamine wanted to do this, and I'm not sure how the final battle would've panned out; as I said, my outlining for this story was less than optimal. I also don't know why Ash was such a downer either. I know I made it seem like I had a reason, but really I just knew I wanted a darker Ash in this story; I figured I'd think of a reason later.**

 **Ash's final roster would've been Pikachu, Mega Charizard Y, Ash-Greninja, Lucario, Silvally, Solgaleo**

 **Sabrina's final roster would've been Alakazam, Venomoth, Mr. Mime, Snorlax, Espeon, Mew, Lunala (yes, that's 7)**

 **In terms of the villains' rosters:**

 **Giovanni: Golem, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Rhyperior, Mewtwo, Guzzlord**

 **Maxie: Mightyena, Weezing, Aggron, Turtonator, Camerupt, Deoxys**

 **Archie: Lycanroc, Dhelmise, Salamence, Claydol, Araquanid, Sharpedo**

 **Cyrus: Bronzong, Spiritomb, Giratina, Rotom, Darkrai, Hoopa**

 **Ghetsis: Zoroark, Golurk, Cofagrigus, Drapion, Volcarona, Hydreigon**

 **Lysandre: Volcanion, Mienshao, Nidoking, Honchkrow, Malamar, Goodra, Pyroar, Mega Gyarados (yes, 8)**

 **Lusamine: Her in game roster, plus Necrozma**

 **Anyways, I'm glad you guys enjoyed the story while it was here. Hopefully I can work out a new idea and get to posting again :)**

 **As always, PM if you have questions or want to talk!**

 _ **Subject 666**_


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